Motivation isn’t fixed. Genetics explain part of it, but much depends on context. For people with ADHD the hardest part is usually starting, especially when a task is boring, overwhelming, far off or scary. Starting with the interesting part, breaking work into 30-minute blocks and working alongside someone all make getting started easier.
I often hear people speaking about motivation as if it’s an absolute quality that you are born with:
“I wish my son was more motivated.” “My colleague in Sales has more drive than anybody I know.”
There is some truth in these statements: Stephen Petrill, a psychology professor at The Ohio State University, co-authored a study of more than 13,000 twins from six countries that found that 40 to 50 percent of the differences in children’s motivation to learn could be explained by their genetic inheritance from their parents.
But as an ADHD coach, I prefer to focus on the 50% that is not explained by genetics. Many times, motivation is contextual.
The Saturday Morning Thought Experiment
It’s 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, you are lying in bed after a big night out, thinking about going for a run, but unable to get out of bed. You could easily lie in bed for another hour or two dozing.
But if you can get yourself up out of bed, then the rest is usually easy: bathroom visit, eat a banana, put on sneakers, and once you have run 20 yards, you can easily run another 2-3 miles.
Understanding Task Initiation and ADHD
When doing executive function coaching, we use the phrase “task initiation” to talk about how to get started. We get to the underlying reason of why it’s hard to start a task.
Why is Starting So Hard?
The most common answers are:
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- The task is boring
- The task is overwhelming
- The assignment is not due until the end of the semester
- The biggy: I’m scared I will fail
Everybody has some tasks that they struggle to get started on, but people with ADHD typically struggle more with task initiation, particularly for boring tasks which won’t give them the dopamine hit they need.
ADHD Coaching Techniques to Get Started
As ADHD coaches, we have lots of techniques to improve task initiation:
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Publicly declare what you are going to do.
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Start with the piece of the task that you find most interesting.
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Pair a task that you find boring with a task that you enjoy.
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Work (or run) with a group or partner.
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Break the tasks into 30-minute sections.
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Schedule your “hard to start” tasks in your calendar.
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Reframe negative self-talk or fear of failure.
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Set up consequences for yourself for not getting started.
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Reward yourself for finishing.
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Carrots vs. Sticks
These last two are interesting: there are definitely people who are more motivated by a carrot and others more by fear. It’s important to know which works better for you.
Building the Positive Spiral
Even if your genetics, or your history, or your self-view, or the task itself can pose barriers, anyone can learn compensating mechanisms and build habits to counteract the reasons that prevent you from getting started on tasks.
As you start building these habits, they become a positive spiral whereby you start feeling great about being productive, you get some wins from the work you are doing, which in turn, motivates you even further.
I strongly recommend doing this with a partner—a coach, a partner, a friend, or a work colleague. Having accountability to somebody, anybody, is a strong motivator. And if you are reading this and thinking that it describes you, reach out for help and get started as soon as you can.
Quick questions
Why is it so hard to start boring tasks with ADHD?
Boring tasks don’t give the ADHD brain the reward it needs to get going. Fear of failure, overwhelm and far-off deadlines make it harder still.
What helps with motivation?
Pair a boring task with something you enjoy, put hard-to-start tasks on your calendar, reward yourself for finishing, and work alongside someone. Being accountable to somebody, anybody, is a strong motivator.
