How To Stay Motivated

Imagine you’re back in school and you want to take chemistry.

Just go with it, I promise you don’t actually have to take chem.

However, in order to take chemistry you first need Algebra (a prerequisite) to gain some fundamental skills. And at the end of the Algebra class the school’s administration tells you that it’s all fine and dandy that you took Algebra but you don’t actually get any credit for it. You just get to move on to chemistry.

How would you feel? You did all of that work and you aren’t getting ANY credit for it

That’s how some of you are treating your to-do lists.

For example, this past weekend I wanted to repaint my basement. When I went to do this I realized I first needed to move Gary the Angry Fish’s tank, sell off some old roller derby skates and get rid of a giant leather chair.

Most of my weekend was spent on this and I never got to the painting part.

If I didn’t give myself credit for all the pre-steps, I’d feel like I accomplished nothing. Which would make me very frustrated.

It’s hard to find the motivation to continue when you don’t recognize the work you’ve done already. Particularly for a dopamine starved brain like mine.

All of those prerequisite tasks count. Give yourself credit for them. If you need to, write them down on the to-list after they’ve been completed so that you can check them off. It’ll give you a surge of dopamine which enables you to stay motivated to finish the job.

Still having a hard time getting things done? Schedule a coaching consultation. After homeschooling two kids with ADHD I promise you - I can help anyone gain the tools they need to stay on task and get things done