---
title: On Willpower and ADHD
description: 'Willpower' can be a particularly problematic word for those of us with ADHD and wandering minds — we explore this theme on today's podcast episode.
image: https://www.kouroshdini.com/hubfs/On%20willpower.jpg
---
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# On Willpower and ADHD
Mar 26, 2026
Willpower can be such a troublesome word.
Those with ADHD in particular supposedly don't have enough. Fight more, do more, do the thing you don't want to do.
But what is this willpower thing?
Have you ever got a cut and knew that while it was healing it was important not to pick at it. But there is this part of you that just feels drawn to scratch?
Is that willpower?
Maybe we can define willpower as:
> The ability to deliberately do or not do something despite an unaccommodating, if not deeply opposed, emotional world that surrounds it.
But is that really the focus - to do things we don't want? Or not do things that some part of us does?
The emotional world is a swirling world, at times chaotic, at times peaceful, at times a vengeful force throwing us from one wave to another. Is it a lack of willpower to fail standing against a typhoon?
Check out [Rhythms of Focus - S01E48 On Willpower](https://rhythms-of-focus.captivate.fm/episode/on-willpower-and-adhd/) to find what we might be looking for instead.
- Kourosh
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