Motivation is simple, right? If you want to do something, you just do it.
At least, that’s what people tell me.
But for me, motivation doesn’t work that way. I can want to do something—I can know it’s important, urgent, even life-changing—and still not be able to start.
And yet, at other times, I’ll hyperfocus on something for hours, completely forgetting to eat or sleep.
Why? Because my brain doesn’t respond to motivation the way a neurotypical brain does.
The ADHD Motivation Paradox
For most people, motivation follows a logical path: this is important → I will do it.
For me, motivation is completely dopamine-driven. My brain isn’t motivated by importance. It’s motivated by interest, urgency, or novelty.
That means:
✔ I can spend hours researching a random historical event just because I find it fascinating.
✔ I can clean my entire apartment in one burst of hyperfocus.
✖ But I can’t force myself to start an important project, no matter how much I want to.
It’s not laziness. It’s not a lack of discipline. It’s simply how my brain works.
Why Traditional Rewards Don’t Work
People often say, “Just reward yourself after you finish!” But ADHD brains don’t work like that.
Why? Because the anticipation of a reward doesn’t generate dopamine for us the same way it does for neurotypical people. If the task itself doesn’t give us dopamine, we struggle to start. The reward at the end isn’t enough to push us into action.
That’s why things like deadlines, accountability partners, and immediate feedback work better for us. They create urgency and instant dopamine boosts that kickstart our motivation.
How I Trick My Brain Into Action
Since my motivation doesn’t work in a typical way, I’ve had to find ADHD-friendly ways to get things done. Here’s what helps me:
- Make it urgent. I set deadlines, even fake ones. The closer the deadline, the easier it is to start.
- Make it interesting. I find ways to connect tasks to something I actually enjoy. If I have to study, I turn it into a game or a challenge.
- Use ‘body doubling.’ Working alongside someone else, even silently, makes it easier to focus.
- Break the ‘start barrier.’ If I tell myself I’ll only do five minutes, it’s often enough to get momentum going.
- Use dopamine ‘bridges.’ I pair boring tasks with something fun—like listening to music while doing chores.
ADHD motivation is unpredictable. Some days, I feel unstoppable. Other days, I struggle with the simplest things. But understanding why my brain works this way helps me be kinder to myself—and helps me work with my brain, not against it.
Elias Carter 