Can't Stay motivated? You need a direction, not focus.

Imagine you’re sitting at your desk trying to get work done, and you just can’t get yourself to start your tasks. You feel like your to-do list is endless, and you have no motivation. You feel frustrated at yourself because you can’t focus.

You might think you need to focus in order to get started.

But, how can you focus when you don’t know what to focus on?

The problem with ADHD brains is that we get overwhelmed by tasks. We don’t see the steps to complete them - we just see a huge pile of things to do and no place to start. It’s like having to detangle a five-foot-tall pile of yarn, and you can’t find the end. Or, you might feel like your brain is in a lobby with no directory.

What you need is direction.

Direction gives your brain something to focus on, which helps you get started. From there, you’ll find the focus to keep going.

An ADHD brain with no direction leads to no place to start. No place to start means no ability to focus.

So, how do you create direction?

You can create direction by:

• Writing down your tasks

• Breaking the tasks down into steps

• Setting priorities for your tasks

• Finding the easiest or most enjoyable thing to do and starting there

Here are some more concrete ways to go about that:

1. Create a list

This is the easiest and most valuable first step you can take.

By making a list, you have a clear outline of what needs to be done. This also de-clutters your brain. By trying to remember what you need to do, you’re taking up valuable thinking real estate. Clear up some space, and you might find it easier to focus.

If you only read one bit of advice from this article, let it be this one: make a list for your tasks.

2. Set priority levels

Once you have your task list, you need to figure out which tasks have the highest priority (what really needs to get done today). You can use the Eisenhower Matrix to help you decide. The Eisenhower Matrix ranks your tasks by high and low importance, and high and low urgency.

An important task is one that will have a high impact on your future - maybe you’ll feel less stressed once you get it done, or maybe the reward for completing it is high. An urgent task is one that needs to be done quickly or has a fast-approaching deadline.

• Tasks that are both important and urgent should be done today.

• Tasks that are important but not urgent should be scheduled for another time.

• Tasks that are urgent but not important might be best handed off to someone else.

• Tasks that are neither urgent nor important shouldn’t be done at all (looking at you, phone scrolling).

Some other considerations for setting priorities:

• What task is easiest?

• What tasks are enjoyable?

Starting with the easiest or most enjoyable task can get your productivity ball rolling.

Schedule your time

Step 1:

Figure out how much time you have to work on your tasks today. But, before you do that, let’s have a reality check: 

• How much time do you really have?

• How long can you focus before your brain taps out?

Don’t bite off more than you can chew! Be realistic about how much time you can spend on your tasks. When in doubt, give yourself less. ADHD brains can get easily discouraged by long lists or easily frustrated by perceived failure. 

Step 2:

Once you know how much time you have, estimate how much time your tasks will take. It’s better to overestimate than underestimate. Remember that with ADHD, we tend to underestimate how much time things take. Think about the last time you had to get ready for an event, and thought it would take a half hour. Did it take a half hour?

Step 3:

Set up specific blocks of time for your tasks. This may take some trial and error. You may need to be specific and commit to an actual time frame in order to follow through. Or, you may benefit from flexibility by giving yourself a window to get it done.

Scheduling time to complete your tasks forms a commitment to getting them done.

Now, let’s get it done:

Use a timer

Using a timer has a handful of benefits:

• Chunking your work is less tiring for your brain

• It ensures you take breaks

• It can allow you to enter a flow state

Flow state is when you’re able to fully focus on a task in a fully immersed and absorbed way. In a flow state, you may not notice that time has passed. You’ll probably start to enjoy the work. This can be easy for ADHD brains due to our ability to hyperfixate (hyperfixation is about the same as flow - you’re completely sucked into a task, hobby, or interest). So, use your powers for good! Even if the task doesn’t seem enjoyable at first, you may not notice how much time has passed once you get going. 

And, take breaks when the time is up

As I mentioned above, you need to take breaks to give your brain a rest.

ADHD brains love to be rewarded with fun activities. If you put off your important tasks because there are other more enjoyable tasks you want to do (video games, TV, scrolling on your phone), reward yourself with that activity after your timed work sessions. There’s nothing wrong or shameful in wanting to do things your brain enjoys doing. Let yourself have fun every so often! For me, this looks like playing 10-15 minutes of video games after 30-45 minutes of work. As a bonus: the video game increases the dopamine in my brain, so I maintain my productivity levels.

If you’re procrastinating on your tasks by doing something more enjoyable, reward yourself with that enjoyable task once you’re done with a bit of work.

Other helpful tips:

Make the task more enjoyable

You can do this by including an enjoyable activity alongside the task. For example, I have a house-cleaning playlist that I listen to every time I do chores. This is a two-fold strategy: first, the upbeat music makes me want to move. Second, I now associate those songs with cleaning. I’ve conditioned myself to clean like some sort of Windex-wielding sleeper agent every time Yakety Yak comes on. 

Other ways to do this include:

• Calling a friend

• Putting a show you’ve already seen in the background

• Listening to a book or podcast

• Having a nice beverage or snack

• Changing out of your sweats into a new outfit

Find ways to make the work more enjoyable. Play some music, make yourself a nice beverage, or put the TV on in the background.

Body doubling 

Body doubling involves working alongside another person. Their productivity will rub off on you by giving your brain the queue that it’s time to start working. This makes it easier to focus and get your work done. It’s my favorite way to create direction if all else fails. It’s particularly helpful for difficult or boring tasks.

I hope this helped point you in the right direction!