How to Make Getting Started Easier


DESCRIPTION:

Learn why it is hard for adults with ADHD to start on tasks and how it can be easier using these strategies.

TRANSCRIPT:

(00:01):

Getting started can often be hard for adults with ADHD. It can be easier. You’ve tuned into scattered Focused, done re-Imagining Productivity with ADHD, A podcast for ADHD, adults like you who want to learn how to adopt the best strategies, tools, and skills to be able to get your essential work done in a way that works with the way your brain is wired. I’m Marla Cummins and I’m glad you decided to join me today on this journey to reimagining productivity with ADHD so you can get your important work done without trying to do it like everyone else.

(00:40):

When it comes to completing tasks, starting task is one of the biggest challenges for ADHD adults and sometimes once you get started, you might find it’s not that hard to continue working if you can just get started. But when starting is so daunting, you may often procrastinate also, because you may be used to doing things at the last minute, you might believe, well, that’s just how you operate best.

(01:07):

It’s because it’s become a habit. As ADHD expert, Dr. Thomas Brown explains often they will put off getting started on a task, even a task they recognize as very important to them until the very last minute. It is though they cannot get themselves started until the point where they perceive the task as an acute emergency. But I bet you’re tired of operating this way. So let’s get on with looking at this a little bit closer.

(01:37):

First, what is motivation? When you are motivated, you have the energy to do what it takes to make a change. It could be cleaning your house, writing a report for work. Let’s define it this way. Motivation is the desire to make a change coupled with the necessary energy to take persistent action to make that change. I know you have the desire to change. In fact, there are probably many changes you want to make in your life right now.

(02:07):

I also know that despite these changes, you may also not be able to consistently create and sustain enough energy to take action, and you may be dumbfounded at your inability to start, especially when you say it’s important to you. Then you may say, it must not be that important if it is important to you. So your thinking goes, you would power through and start right. After all, it seems easy for you to engage in tasks that interest you first.

(02:36):

It’s important to remember that because you don’t do something that you say is important to you does not necessarily mean it’s not important to you. Others may also think you’re choosing not to do it. Sure, on occasion, just like anyone else, you may choose to attend to what interests you at the expense of doing what you say is important. We all do this, but I know you also want to start and follow through on what’s important to you, whether it’s intrinsically interesting to you or not.

(03:05):

One of the reasons for your inconsistency in starting your important work is that there’s insufficient dopamine released in the executive function networks. In your ADHD brain, your brain is just not stimulated enough, so you don’t start. Because of this, you have an interest-based nervous system. This means you are motivated when something is interesting, challenging, novel and urgent. If you are interested in doing a task because of one of these perceived rewards or avoidance of something negative, dopamine is released.

(03:40):

It’s important to note that this is not voluntary though. To paraphrase a patient of ADHD expert, Dr. Thomas Brown, either you get it up or you can’t. Enough said because of your particular brain wiring, lack of dopamine and intra space nervous system will help you incorporate a strategy that helps provide more dopamine. This includes trying to make the task interesting, challenging, novel and again or urgent because telling yourself you should do something trying to force yourself just won’t work.

(04:18):

In fact, you likely feel more resistance when you try to force yourself, right? You might find that you overuse urgency, but when you wait until the last minute and there is an impending consequence like getting in trouble at work, you might become really interested in doing the task. Again, dopamine is released and your brain gets the stimulation it needs. That is why urgency works.

(04:43):

Also, your emotions attached to the task can also get in the way of starting. For instance, write down all the thoughts that come to mind when you think of a task you are putting off. What are the negative thoughts? These are some of the ones contributing to your challenge getting started, so here’s an example about how this might work. Carrie is co-authoring a paper with her colleague Nasser. She sees he sent her an email about a week ago and she can’t believe she hasn’t responded yet.

(05:17):

She tells herself that she should respond to him today, but she gets stuck trying to write a response. Then she remembers. She promised to send her section of the paper to necessary last week. She’s still not done with it. Carrie decides she doesn’t want to email him until she can send the section. All of a sudden she starts down a shame spiral and can’t even think about what to write.

(05:40):

In the email, she starts to wonder if he regrets ever deciding to work with her. She decides she’ll answer the email later. No doubt emotions can get in the way of starting a task. I bet you may often say to yourself about an important task. I’ll do that later, but you don’t know when that might be. You’re just not going to do it at the moment and you promise yourself you’ll do it later so you can minimize the discomfort of putting it off.

(06:12):

After all, you’re going to do it right just later though unconscious. When procrastinating, there’s often a belief that you’ll feel like doing it later. That is something will change to make it so you’ll want to do it. Maybe you think it’ll be easier later, though you don’t know when that will happen or what will change. Again, think of a task you’re putting off. When are you going to do it? If you’re not sure, try to figure it out.

(06:42):

Remember, the task won’t be any more comfortable later. Waiting for motivation becomes even more of a slippery slope When you feel shame because your self-esteem takes a battering and then you feel even less motivated to tackle the task, so you may either avoid doing it or wait until there’s some external pressure sense of urgency that forces you to do it. You may even have developed a habit of relying on urgency to help you get started.

(07:14):

No doubt. Eventually the work gets done and so now you may even believe that’s how you work best. Sure, the task gets done, but as you know, relying on urgency comes with costs. These may include overwhelm, poor health, not enough sleep, mediocre work, including mistakes and not completing work. When the pressure becomes too great, you may expect yourself to create enough internal pressure on your own to get started because your thinking goes.

(07:45):

That is what adults do, right In these moments, remember the cost of relying on urgency. So how do you get started? Let’s look at some strategies to help you. I know I just told you, you have an interest-based nervous system rather than an important space nervous system. Yet knowing the importance value to you of a task will give you a more visceral connection to the reward, and this can help you decide to do a task and help you get closer to it.

(08:17):

For example, a former client, a professor, would often neglect his administrative tasks. Sound familiar? He was much more interested in his research and classes than classes, but he did value being seen as a professional and was concerned his colleagues would not respect him and see him as a professional if he continued to neglect his administrative responsibilities.

(08:39):

So he put blocks of time in his calendar just for administrative tasks and no surprise he continued to ignore these. That is until he put the word be a pro for professional in the time block. Much to his surprise when he saw the phrase, he remembered the reason he would choose to do the task and did them. Think of a reward that would give you the visceral connection you need to make one of your current task easier to start. Not sure. It can sometimes be hard to figure this out.

(09:11):

It may try thinking it through with someone you trust. Here’s another strategy. Once you have decided the value to you of a task, the next step is to make sure you can do it. I know this may seem obvious yet, I know there are times when you have a hard time getting started because you have the wrong task on your list, so you look at your LISC and either quickly step over the task or tell yourself, right?

(09:39):

I’ll do that later. Again though you have no idea when later is. Look at your list right now. Identify those that have been on your list for a long time and ask yourself the following questions. Do I need to do something before this task? For example, if taking your bike in for a tuneup is on your list, but you do not know where to take it, you have the wrong task.

(10:04):

The task might be to research and call bike shops to see if they’re doing tuneups. Have I decided how I want to do the task? You might have decided you need to communicate with a client and so on Your list is email Riva, but when you look at the task, you wonder, should I email or schedule a call? In this example, the first task is yes to decide whether to email or schedule a call. Can I do this task? There may be a task on your list you either don’t know how to do or can’t do because you don’t have what you need to do the task.

(10:40):

So you have starter plans for your garden, but you don’t know how to space them and you don’t have the right tools, right? You need to come up with a plan and get the tools you need. I think you get it. Once you’ve identified the reward and are sure you can do the task, it can still be hard getting into action. So here are some more suggestions. How often have you put task on your lists only to have them stay on the list day after day. One reason this can happen is you do not have an execution plan, so you see the task on the list and think, right, I have to get to that.

(11:17):

One thing you can do instead is to batch similar tasks and have a time for completing these. For example, you could decide to do all your emails at three o’clock and run errands at four o’clock. If it is a long-term project, you may have reoccurring time blocks you work on for the task. An example of this might be writing each morning for an hour to complete a journal article. You might tend to your garden for a bit after work each day. If it’s a one-off task that takes a considerable chunk of time, you may carve out time in your calendar to spend a couple of hours or whatever amount of time you decide.

(11:55):

Then, when figuring out how to make it easier to start, you may also want to experiment with these strategies. Remember, it’s an experiment, not an exam. You can’t fail, so give some of these a try if you think they might be helpful. Sometimes it’s helpful to work with an accountability partner. That partner might be someone or maybe an app like Focusmate or a group such as an exercise group.

(12:22):

Another strategy, set a timer for 25 minutes or for as long as you think you can work, then take a break. You might also give yourself an actual reward along the way, not just at the end. Maybe you can watch a TV show after you do your email to make it more interesting. You might try to gamify the task. Try to process your email each day using Jerry Seinfeld’s. Don’t break the chain strategy. A member of our online membership group made phone calls she was procrastinating on with a New York accent.

(12:54):

What else might you try to appeal to your interest space nervous system? Next, expand what it means for you to get started to include getting ready to start working by using a warmup routine. This routine will help you get in the right mindset to begin as well as help you get physically closer to starting the task. Here are steps adapted from the suggestions of writer James. Clear.

(13:21):

As you hear these steps, think about what your warmup routine might look like. Step one, start your routine with something super easy. Many people find traction they get from just starting helps them to continue to move toward their objective and true. The purpose of a warmup routine is to help you build up to starting on an actual task. Your objective since starting is hard. You want to be sure the first step in your warmup routine is easy to do.

(13:55):

It should be so easy. There is virtually zero chance anything could get in your way of starting. Maybe it’s filling up your water bottle and opening up your computer. What’s your first step? The second step is to include physical movement to ensure your warmer routine gets you closer and closer to your task. Even if you do all your work in the same desk as I know many of you do, you could start by getting up to get water, for example, and then return to your desk.

(14:26):

I always sit in the same chair to do my writing, so when I go and sit there, I’m literally moving toward my goal of writing. This movement reinforces my intention to write and helps me get started. What kind of physical movement could you include in your warmup routine? Make sure you do your routine exactly the same each time because you don’t want to be in a position of needing to stop and wonder what should I do now?

(14:52):

If you get water in the red glass, don’t use the blue glass. After a while, you will do the routine out of habit, and it will be your cue that this is what I do before, whatever that next thing is. Then rather than needing to rely on motivation or willpower, you’ll be pulled by your warmup routine to start on your primary goal and then rinse and repeat last.

(15:19):

Hopefully the tips I just mentioned will make it easier, but also it does not mean that you will not feel some discomfort when you try to get started, especially if a task is something that is hard to do right now. To avoid procrastinating as a means of avoiding the discomfort of starting. Acknowledge you are uncomfortable and practice being with it so you can continue getting closer to the task rather than turning away from it. Sure, there may be some friction when you start.

(15:55):

The key is not to give into that feeling and give up because once you do, you may either continue to procrastinate or yes, wait for urgency to kick into gear. One way to turn this around is to adopt self-talk that will help you start and follow through. Other options are to play some music, do some jumping jacks, get a fidget work at a cafe. Do whatever you need to do to get closer to the task and be compassionate with yourself. So what are you going to try this week to get closer to your task and be able to make getting started easier?

(16:36):

That’s it for now. I’m really glad you joined me and stay until the very end. If you’re interested in learning more about my work with adults with ADHD, please check out my website, marla cummins.com. Of course, if you’ve learned a thing or two from today’s podcast, please pass along the link to anyone else in your circles you think might benefit, and until next time, this has been scattered focused, done. And I’m Marla Cummins. Wishing you all the very best on your journey to re-imagining productivity with ADHD.

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