What every ADHD writer must know about motivation
Part 1 of the ADHD Writers series on Motivation
Before I learned I had ADHD I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why I had such a chaotic relationship with motivation. One day I could be so locked into a project that it would feel physically painful to be interrupted. The very next, you might find me on the couch staring at my phone in a zombie like state.
I thought maybe I was just lazy, but the label didn’t quite fit. How could someone that could occasionally get a tremendous amount of work done in such a short period of time be lazy? I took the fact that even on the days I was glued to the couch, it wasn’t usually because I wanted to be there, as further evidence.
After years of contemplating, I concluded that perhaps motivation for me simply was an all or nothing affair. The faucet was either on at full strength or completely off. I didn’t completely miss the mark with this conclusion, but it turns out the full answer was more complex.
When I became obsessed with studying ADHD, I learned that there were real chemical and structural differences in my brain that contributed to how I experienced motivation. I was comforted by this insight and encouraged to learn that there were things I could do to turn the motivation tap on and keep it flowing at a steadier rate.
Why ADHDers experience extreme motivation fluctuations.
Why is it so hard for ADHDers to just get stuff done?
The answer is complicated but is largely related to the differences the ADHD brain shows in dopamine regulation. Evidence shows ADHD brains process dopamine more quickly than neurotypical brains leaving less of it available overall. Dopamine is largely involved in motivation, and because our brains have less of it to access at any given time, it can be much harder for us to initiate monotonous or low stakes tasks.
If insufficient dopamine is the reason we struggle with task initiation, what explains the ADHD tendency to be intensely motivated under the right conditions? Usually, the answer lies in what we are driven towards. Our brains often feel the effects of more than enough dopamine to get going if our tasks provide any or all of the following elements: interest, competition, novelty and urgency. All of these factors allow our brain to release more dopamine in the anticipation of the reward we feel when completing these types of tasks.
Many of the tasks we are face with as writers don’t automatically provide the kindling that sparks ADHD motivation. Working on a manuscript or article that doesn’t have a deadline isn’t always going to be feel urgent enough to get us going. If we have been writing in the same genre for years, we may be lacking the novelty and interest factors. Tasks like editing and querying agents might feel boring and low reward. When you factor in rejection sensitivity it may be even harder to find the motivation to complete these crucial steps.
While this all may sound demoralizing to ADHD writers, there is good news. When we increase our awareness of how our motivation systems are wired, we amplify the power we have to create the conditions we need to move forward on our most valued projects.
In this series on motivation, Jesse and I will explore each of the four factors that feed ADHD motivation in more detail. We will break down how they can be used to influence specific aspects of writing and suggest strategies to help you get more words on the page.
Notes from Jesse
I’m super excited for this series, as I think motivation is one of the biggest struggles for people with ADHD!
To make it easier for me to remember, I often refer to those ADHD motivators as the 4 Cs of Motivation: Captivate (interest), Create (novelty), Compete (challenge), and Complete (urgency). I literally am using these every single day, repeating them to myself (“captivate, create, compete, complete…”) as a reminder for how I can find motivation whenever I’m stuck.
I know just how powerful it can be to focus on what actually motivates my brain, rather than trying to shame myself by focusing on something being “important” (which doesn’t motivate me). Really looking forward to diving in more in the upcoming weeks!
Which one of those motivation factors most speaks to you?
One thing that motivates me is to be kinder to myself. I know from experience that if I quiet the demoralizing sell-talk, I can remember that my way of noticing things allows for unique and valuable work.
I can create good works when I focus on small steps that don’t overwhelm me. Whether those steps be for art, for activities of compassion toward others, or in everyday tasks. After I complete a small step it’s easier to see what the next step should be. Seeing that next step within reach is motivating.
Great post. Looking forward to more.
“trying to shame myself by focusing on something being “important” (which doesn’t motivate me)” is what I keep doing over and over, with the expected poor outcomes.