ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

EP. 365: One Word, One Brain, One Damn Good Year

16 snips

Dec 31, 2025

Tired of failed resolutions? Discover the power of choosing a single, emotionally charged word to guide your year, especially for ADHD brains. Tracy shares personal stories about health crises that shifted her priorities and the decision to simplify her life by letting go of her family's home. She explains how clutter drains cognitive energy and advocates for embracing subtraction over accumulation. This episode is packed with practical ways to create space for what truly matters and foster creativity.

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ADVICE

Pick One Guiding Word

Choose one emotionally charged word to guide your year instead of resolutions or long to-do lists.
Anchor the word somewhere visible to remind and motivate your ADHD brain daily.

ANECDOTE

Words That Shaped Her Podcast

Tracy used the word "nervy" in 2018 to push past fear and start the podcast.
She used "consistency" in 2019 to keep showing up every week and build the show.

ANECDOTE

Family Health Scare And Recovery

Tracy's husband had planned open heart surgery to fix a valve and aneurysm discovered in 2023.
His proactive health habits made his recovery unusually fast and smooth.

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Every year, many of us feel pressure to set resolutions, overhaul our lives, or become a “new version” of ourselves. That approach rarely works for ADHD brains.

In this episode, let’s talk about a different way forward. Instead of adding more goals, habits, or systems, this episode explores the power of choosing one word to guide the year and why simplicity works so well for ADHD brains. Tracy walks through the science behind why a single, emotionally charged word is easier to remember, easier to act on, and more motivating than long to do lists or rigid plans.

The episode also shares the personal experiences that shaped Tracy’s word for 2026, including major family health events, big transitions, and the decision to let go of a long time family home. Along the way, she explains why ADHD brains do not thrive on more, how clutter and obligation quietly drain cognitive bandwidth, and why subtraction can actually bring clarity, creativity, and energy back online.

You’ll hear how subtracting is not about minimalism or doing less for the sake of it, but about making space for what actually matters. From simplifying systems and commitments to questioning beliefs that no longer fit, this episode offers a grounded way to think about growth that does not rely on pressure or perfection.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or ready to stop carrying what no longer fits, this episode is for you.

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: 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?

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