” Why Getting Started Is Endlessly Hard
Getting started on a task — particularly a dreadful chore or daunting project — can feel physically and mentally unbearable at times.
Why do adults with ADHD struggle with motivation, procrastination, and task initiation?
We don’t know where to begin. We predict (or assume) failure. We lack intrinsic motivation. We fall back on perfectionist tendencies to overcompensate for all of the above. The reasons why we struggle to get started on tasks and projects — particularly ones that do not captivate or reward us — are varied and complicated.
But the underlying cause of a great many task initiation problems is this: executive dysfunction.
For many adults with ADHD, executive dysfunction brings weak prioritization skills, time blindness, and an inability to organise immediate tasks — all critical for managing daily life, and even the simplest of tasks.
Example
“My OCD says: ‘Before we start, let’s tidy up our workspace, organize our diary, and get today’s admin out the way.’
My ADHD says: ‘Yes! Let’s tidy up our workspace, but let us also rearrange the bookshelf, de-clutter our cupboards, donate old clothes, do some laundry, feed the dogs, cook lunch, wash the cars, tend to the garden, worry, think, worry.’”
“Finding the motivation to start something is excruciating. Hyperfocus helps, but I spend days beating myself up for being behind on tasks. I’m trying to cut myself some slack and accept that it is just how my brain works, but many years of conditioning is hard to reverse!” – Anonymous
“I get frazzled by where to start and how to start. I overthink the whole process before I even begin. I feel ashamed that such small things can be utterly paralyzing.” – Anonymous
Emotions, positive and negative, play a critical role in executive functions: initiating and prioritizing tasks, sustaining or shifting interest or effort, holding thoughts in active memory, and choosing to avoid a task or situation.
How to Say Yes When Your Brain Says No
The reasons for procrastination may be deeper than you think. They may be linked to a fear of failure or of imperfection, or a host of other psychological roadblocks.
Try these tips to clear those mental hurdles:
Think positive. Don’t approach a dreaded task thinking, “This will take so long, and it’s already so late….” Instead, say to yourself, “I might not be able to finish this today, but I can do the first two steps.
”Light up your brain. Rather than reward yourself after you complete a task, try doing something pleasant first, to “light up” your brain. Many people with ADHD find that, once their interest is piqued, they can apply that positive involvement to a less enjoyable task.
Go for a walk, listen to music—just be sure to set a timer for 20 minutes, so you don’t get too absorbed in the pleasant activity.