May 2005
                           Notes on MOTIVATION


 I've done the dish thing myself, and would then soak in Clorox and water... May help to commit, without fail, to washing ONE dish more every day than the ones you use. That way it's not very intimidating. At some point you may find yourself just feeling like doing more than that.
 
Motivation and procrastination are my big problems too. Adderall helps me remember things, makes me more socially skilled, etc., but the motivation thing is still tough, as is timing. Certainly these are typical ADD problems. Besides reading this, I know it from listening to people at the ADD support group I attend, and from seeing what time they show up on those rare days when I get there on time.
 
I wrote a little outline to use on the day that I was leading one of the meetings, on the topic of motivation. Someone liked it and offered to type it up, but, you guessed it, I haven't heard much from them.
 
Some of the ideas that were on that outline or came up, or that occur to me:
 
-break tasks up into little pieces so they're less scary
 
-dispute ANTS (automatic negative thoughts). Think about why they're not rational. i.e. having trouble getting things done doesn't make you a bad person, just someone with a problem to work on. Or a belief that you for some reason just can't do something that in fact doesn't require special talents. That awful guy, Albert Ellis, is good on this, though I wouldn't buy his whole package if I were you! (sometimes he sounds like: "Someone cut off your leg? TOO BAD! Get over it!") He doesn't really recognize the biochemical side of things. But his books are everywhere.
 
-the silent coach. If you can arrange to have someone else in the house while you're working, it's like you have witnesses and may behave better. A guy I know has a friend who very reliably comes over while he's working at home. The friend appreciates it because he can't work and doesn't want to be alone all the time, and the other guy finds himself getting things done.
 
-record progress and make sure to notice it. ANTs sometimes interfere with this, so you feel like you're not doing ANYTHING when you really are. Find a reward for even small amounts of progress. You could read that article, watch that show, walk around the block, whatever. Supposedly, those of us with ADD need rewards that are more immediate to be motivated.
 
-schedule in a little fun time as a legitimate thing, so you don't have to feel under pressure every minute. More likely to get things done if morale ok. Something you actually enjoy, not just something you ought to enjoy.
 
-Find ways to make it easier to for YOU to do things instead of just bulling thru. Does music help? Do you need quiet? Is it better to do 10 minutes every hour or to do it all at once? Can you figure out a different way to do the task that you will like more?
 
-beating yourself up isn't helpful! Don't give yourself permission to do it.
 
-take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself. It will be easier to get things done if you are well rested and exercised, have eaten right, etc.
 
-Some people are helped if they divide their tasks into the high priority, the medium, and the low. Throw out the low, then take 3 or 4 tasks, put them on a sheet of paper, and don't look at the others until the 3 or 4 are done.
 
-Other people like to schedule out things ahead of time. I.e. 9-10 paperwork, 10-11:30 phone calls, 11:30-12 and 1-2 project A, etc.
 
-write some goals in a visible place to keep them in mind
 
-While working at home, have a ritual to mark off when you are working. i.e. get dressed, close the door to your home office, or whatever. Don't let the siren call of unrelated things get to you.
 
All this is MUCH easier to remember and recount here than to do, but these are ideas I've heard that sound like they can work, and I know some of them do. The dish trick definitely does. It was my job in the old household to keep them all washed. I would tell myself that I was only going to do a few, but often all of them would get dealt with in a remarkably short period of time. Now if I can just be as effective elsewhere....