ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

EP. 366: You Don’t Need a New Year. You Need a New Lens.

18 snips

Jan 7, 2026

Forget New Year's resolutions! Real change starts with how you see yourself. Discover how your thoughts shape your feelings, actions, and outcomes. Learn practical mindfulness techniques to break free from rumination and fear. Embrace setbacks as valuable lessons and shift your mindset from feeling broken to capable. The STOP skill helps you take control in moments of negativity. Visualize your goals with positive emotions and small actions to build momentum. Celebrate your wins and trust your ADHD brain!

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INSIGHT

Change The Lens, Not The Date

Real change comes from shifting how you see yourself, not flipping the calendar.
Tracy Otsuka says changing your inner lens alters thoughts, feelings, actions, and results.

INSIGHT

Thoughts Shape Your Results

Thoughts create feelings, feelings drive actions, and actions create results.
Tracy Otsuka emphasizes that noticing thoughts is the leverage point to change outcomes.

ADVICE

Pause And Witness Your Thinking

Pause and notice your thinking to separate yourself from the mind.
Use mindfulness to watch thoughts and reduce reactivity so you can choose different actions.

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New Year comes with a loud promise: new goals, new habits, new you. But real change does not come from flipping the calendar. It comes from changing the lens you look through, especially if your brain defaults to “I’m behind,” “I’m failing,” or “I should be better by now.”

In this episode, let’s break down the simplest framework that explains why you feel stuck: your thoughts create your feelings, your feelings drive your actions, and your actions create your results.

When an ADHD brain gets caught in rumination, catastrophizing, and “monkey mind” loops, it can feel like you are working on the problem when you are really just flooding your system with fear.

You will also learn practical ways to step out of that spiral, including mindfulness basics and the STOP skill (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) for regulating your nervous system in real time. Learn how to use intention, visualization, and positive emotion in a grounded way that actually supports ADHD brains, plus why the goal is not “never feel negative,” but learning how to guide your mind back to safety so you can move again.

Resources:

Website: tracyotsuka.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796
FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th: https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain
Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com

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If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

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Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com