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Is Motivation Over-Rated?
By
Bonnie Mincu, MA |
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When to 'Just Do It!'
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Those of us with Attention Deficit Disorder know that our
ADD brain-wiring doesn't respond to what we 'should' do.
Unless we're really interested in a task, we have a pretty
hard time staying focused on it for any great length of time.
Sometimes, we require the stimulus of a looming deadline,
or last-minute panic, to goad us into action. What do we do
when there is no deadline?
Lacking a real crisis or consequence, I've encouraged my
coaching clients to create strategies to motivate their
minds into beginning a task that seems dull.
THE FALLACY OF WAITING FOR MOTIVATION
A new client, Bruce, stated that he had been waiting for
motivation to strike so that he could begin a project that
was important to him, in order to reach his business goals.
His standard rationalization for not beginning the project
was that he was 'just not motivated.' One day, he decided
that motivation was beside the point. He hired a coach -
not to get him motivated - but to work with him on developing
strategies that would help him DO IT.
I was again reminded of motivation after two different
conversations with entrepreneurial clients who reported the
strong influence of their mood on their decisions to complete
stages in their plans. It's quite understandable to feel un-
motivated after your sales presentation falls on deaf ears,
or your manuscript is returned with a 'no thank you.' If you
have a boss to report to - and you want to keep your job --
the structure of your organization replaces the need for
motivation as a driving force.
A downside of entrepreneurship is there is no one to fire
you for not following through, no one who will ask whether
you've entered your contact list in Outlook. So it's all too
easy to let your mood dictate what you get done.
SOME TIME FOR SELF-COMMITMENT
To succeed at your goals, you require a stratgegy that
doesn't depend on motivation or your mood of the moment.
So your actions for the day will be based on your long-term
vision and strategies, not only on what you feel like doing.
This doesn't mean the entire day has to be rigidly scheduled
with no flexibility - but it probably does mean you have some
firm commitments to a few steps that you will accomplish NO
MATTER WHAT!
Committing to do a step or two towards your larger goal might
mean spending an hour of time on something you're NOT really
motivated to do.
How can you get yourself to do this?
- Your best strategy might be to split that hour up between
morning and afternoon.
- Or find a way to make it more pleasant, perhaps with
stimulating music or in a different environment.
- You may also need to practice a different habit in
that hour, in order to cut out your distractions or roadblocks.
For an hour, it might make a huge difference to:
- Stay off email
- Turn off the phone
- Plan ahead to make sure everything you need is in place
- Remove the clutter from your desk
- Enter that task in your calendar for a specific time of day,
and make yourself NOT AVAILABLE!
After you've accomplished your task, you can 'reward' yourself
by returning to your "unmotivated" mood. But you may find it's
not so easy - the feeling of accomplishment itself has been
known to create motivation!
Author's Bio
Bonnie Mincu, ADHD Coach, created the “Thrive with ADD” program of solutions for ADD Adults, with classes, recordings and resources for specific Adult ADD challenges. She is the producer of the 5-minute online video "The Attention Movie" for Adult ADD at www.TheAttentionMovie.com. Visit her website www.ThrivewithADD.com.
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