Adults with ADHD throughout their lives may have been called “lazy” or “unmotivated”. Although most adults with ADHD can get easily motivated by a task/activity that is interesting, the dull & boring tasks/activities are put off to the side until another time, even though they are important. The following strategies are some ways to help adults with ADHD overcome their lack of motivation.
Start Each Day with a Mantra – Don’t live your life away – live it with a reason by living according to your mantra. It could be something powerful, for focus, for peace of mind something that will make you want to get up in the morning.
Make Your Own Life Journal – A life journal is a document that includes your life goals, aspirations and dreams. What makes this different from a vision board is that it contains the steps you are going to take to achieve your goals. On the other hand, a life journal shows you what you should do in order to get what you want out of life.
Remember That Taking a Break is Necessary – You cannot work on a task/project for five straight hours. You have to try to plan out breaks so that your motivational level is not used up. Try to take a ten minute break for every hour of work.
Break Up Your Tasks/Activities into Small Pieces – It is easy to use up all your motivation if you are thinking about how big and impossible task/activity is. Instead of getting overwhelmed, get pumped up by breaking up the tasks/activities into small pieces. It can also be easier to feel more fulfilled if you are able to do one task/activity one at a time.
Have An Accomplishment Journal – Every week or day, write down one thing that makes you feel fulfilled, excited or inspired. It could be something simple as call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile, being invited to a seminar, write what really matters to you.
Move Around – Maximize your motivation by using your body’s supply of happy hormones. You don’t need to get a gym membership to accomplish this – a simple walk around the block or put some upbeat music on and dance it out.