ADHD Motivation Tips | How to Get Things Done with ADHD
You are not lazy...
Despite what years of comments from parents, teachers, co-workers, spouses, and others may have told you...your lack of motivation to start less than exciting tasks as a person with diagnosed or suspected ADHD is not laziness.
It's a lack of dopamine.
See, part of dopamine's job as a neurotransmitter is to encourage us to take action. And because the ADHD brain may run low on the necessary dopamine or may be too quick to cycle through the limited dopamine we have, us ADHDers don’t have the necessary juice to get going.
Kinda like trying to drive a car without any gas. You aren’t going to get very far.
But there are ways you can hack your dopamine delivery system and work with your natural daily energy ebbs and flows to get across that motivation bridge so many of us struggle with. That’s I wanted to discuss why those of us with ADHD struggle with motivation and how to find it.
Why is There an ADHD Lack of Motivation?
Whether it's from others or from ourselves, us ADHDers have probably heard the word "lazy" in some way, shape or form when it comes to our motivation.
You might have been told to "try harder" when you were in school.
Or maybe you're in a constant mental battle with yourself over what you "should" be doing.
Maybe you keep kicking the can down the road hoping one day, magically, you'll find the motivation to do that thing you either want to do but can’t motivate yourself to do or the things you think you “should” do.
But here's the thing (and it's big, so pay attention)...
You are not lazy. Your brain is different.
See, motivation is rooted in task initiation and follow through.
Task initiation and follow through are executive functions.
And those of us with ADHD often struggle with those executive functions...along with finding it hard to continue when a task is not or is no longer interesting.
Laziness, by definition, is "having or showing an unwillingness to work".
And I can very confidently say, every ADHDer I've worked with has a willingness to work. Where they often struggle is:
Deciding where to start.
Breaking the task down into manageable pieces.
Staying interested until the end.
Fear of criticism or failure.
And all of these actions are directly linked to executive function.
And what is it that us ADHDers struggle with due to low dopamine in our systems? Oh, right...executive function. (Do you see where this is going?)
The good news is, since most of our lack of motivation is due to our less than stellar executive function and NOT a propensity for laziness, there are some work arounds to help our brains find the motivation we need to grow a successful business AND juggle a busy family life.
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD
Let’s wrap up with some tips to help increase your motivation when you're struggling to get things done:
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: Increase Your Dopamine
Do whatever works for you to boost this all-important neurotransmitter that regulates your executive function. If you know you’ve got a task on your to-do list that you’re less than motivated to start or continue working on, try to boost your dopamine prior to when you need to work on said task.
You can do this through exercise (which some argue may be the single best way to increase dopamine naturally, just saying). You could also try supplements. Medication. Meditation or mindfulness exercises. Getting some sunlight. Doing something you love. Or listening to music you like.
Wanna learn more about dopamine? Click here for my episode “What is Dopamine?”
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: Work with Your Energy
When I say “energy”, I mean as in your biological clock. Not like woo-woo. Although be clear, ain’t nothing wrong with a little woo-woo energy. ✨✨✨
It is so important as an ADHD entrepreneur and ADHD mom to chart your peak energy times so you can maximize your ability to focus and follow through.
I dare say that energy management may be more important than time management when it comes to ADHD.
For example, I am a morning person. For years, I struggled with and beat myself up for not wanting to finish the dishes after dinner. I just literally had nothing left by that time in the evening.
After learning to work with my energy, I started giving myself grace around doing the dishes after dinner (because it was my low energy time) and started adding time to do dishes in the morning when my energy and motivation is higher. The dishes are getting done, just maybe not right away...And that's ok.
Your natural energy ebbs and flows are also known as your chronotype and if you’re interested in seeing when your peak and low energy times may be, you can click here to take the Chronotype quiz by Dr. Michael Breus on SleepDoctor.com
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: DIFF It
DIFF stands for “Do It for Five (Minutes)”.
I came up with the acronym when I started working out again after my cancer treatment. It was so hard for me to motivate myself to get back into the routine.
But I knew it was so important…and because all my doctors and physical therapists kept telling me it was important. 🤣
I made a deal with myself to workout for 5 minutes. Some days I would keep going. Some days I stop. Either way, I've gotten at least a little done.
Since then, I’ve applied DIFF It to a multitude of tasks I’m less than motivated to do throughout the week…folding laundry, sanding drywall repairs in my kids bedroom, writing scripts for YouTube videos.
So next time you’re feeling less than motivated, DIFF It. You may find you keep going. Or you might stop after 5 minutes. But either way, you’ve made more progress than if you did nothing.
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: Make the Task Smaller
Another way you can overcome motivation hurdles when it comes to bigger tasks is to make it into a bunch of smaller, more manageable tasks.
See, when a task feels too big or overwhelming, it can be hard to fathom or find the energy it takes to complete it. If we just see “Paint the Boys’ Bedroom” on our to-do list and we subconciously know all the steps that go into that project, we may put it off because it is just too much.
But if instead we see “Buy Paint”, “Check Painting Supplies”, or “Patch Nail Holes”. Well, those tiny tasks don’t sound quite as overwhelming.
Make it micro and make incremental progress.
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: Ask for Help
After over a decade as both a mom and entrepreneur, I can tell you for certain there are no bonus points or trophies for doing it all yourself.
And I realize there may be all sorts of reasons why we don’t ask for help…
Someone might not do it the way we want it done.
It may take longer to explain it than to just do it ourselves.
Maybe you feel like asking for help makes you look weak or incapable.
But let me ask you this…It is better to make some progress on a task or project you want to complete than no progress?
If your motivation is low and there is someone in your home or on your team that can help, try delegating part or all of the task or project so you don’t become your own roadblock.
Where to Find Motivation for ADHD: Find Accountability
Approval, obligation, and fear of letting people down can be extremely motivating for an ADHDer.
Asking a friend or family member to act as an accountability partner or hiring a coach to check in on your progress may just be the bump you need to get over your motivational hurdle.
To wrap up, I want to clarify that by no means am I suggesting that you should push yourself beyond your capacity just to reach a goal or complete a task. Especially if you are experiencing symptoms of burnout or struggling with comorbid conditions like depression or anxiety in addition to your ADHD. Listen to advice from your therapist or doctor about how far to push and how long to take a break.
But if you are just feeling overwhelmed, confused, or struggling to start, that's where these tips can really come in handy.
And if you’re still finding it difficult to find the motivation to do the things you know you need to do, I would love to help you get over that hurdle. As an ADHD coach focusing on accountability, I work with you each week to determine the priority tasks necessary to help you reach your goals and when you have the time to work on these tasks. Then I’ll remind you and/or follow up with you to check your progress and keep you moving.
To learn more about how my ADHD coaching programs can support you as an ADHD mom and ADHD entrepreneur, click below to schedule your free, no-obligation call with me.
