One challenge that people with ADHD have is the disconnect between motivation and action. We can be highly motivated to do something yet still unable to initiate action.
The common advice in this situation is to “just start.” I’ll admit that I often try to encourage myself with this advice. But the admonition to “just start” overlooks a fundamental truth:
Task initiation is more complex than we often admit.
For over 12 years, I have started every day with a workout or movement practice.
And yet, I still have days when it’s hard to just start.
This isn’t a “motivation” issue. In fact I have an extensive list of reasons why exercise is important to me and why it’s a non-negotiable. My motivation — my reasons for exercise — has remained unchanged for all these years. If anything, the list has expanded.
But high motivation isn’t always enough to “just start.”
Read: The 3-Part Framework for Consistent Workouts (No Motivation Required).
What’s Required to “Just Start”
The advice to “just start” falls flat because task initiation is more complex than it appears.
My daily workouts have proven to be a valuable laboratory for examining the patterns involved in task initiation. In my experience, I’ve discovered that initiation relies on the presence of several factors, including
- Nervous system and emotional regulation: This includes being connected within your body, pain free, open-hearted, receptive, attentive, curious, and able to maintain focus.
- Cognitive bandwidth: The ability to think and articulate clearly, including functioning working memory.
- Energetic bandwidth: Sufficient physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy for the task.
- Clarity: What, specifically, you’re going to do. This includes task structure and sequencing.
- Environmental structure: An environment that supports the task you’re going to do. This includes physical space conducive to the task, as well as community and support.
- Capacity: The skills and techniques necessary to perform the task.
- Confidence: Certainty that you can do the task.
We can think of these components as different “batteries” that need to be charged, or “fuel tanks” that need to be filled, to take action.
Read: How to Diagnose a “Motivation” Problem — and Fix the Right Thing.
Case Study: Application to Workouts
Here’s how these “batteries” or “fuel tanks” would apply to a workout:
- Nervous system and emotional regulation: I’m well-rested, well-nourished, able to be fully present, not in physical pain, not distracted or weighed down by thoughts regarding other issues, and not emotionally drained by other people. This is one reason why I make it a rule not to check messages or social media before my workouts. Even reading messages or news can impact my energy.
- Cognitive bandwidth: I can process the instructions from a coach, or from my workout plan. I can receive feedback and integrate it.
- Energetic bandwidth: Physical energy is the obvious one here, but the other forms — emotional, cognitive, and spiritual — are also important. In fact, our physical energy is impacted by the other three. Every stress you bring with you into the gym adds weight to the bar.
- Clarity: I have a clear plan for the specific exercises to do that day, including how many reps and sets and in what order to do them.
- Environmental structure: A gym or other space that offers the space and equipment I need for my workout, and the support I might need in terms of coaches and community.
- Capacity: Objectively speaking, I have the strength and skills to do the exercises that are listed in my plan.
- Confidence: I am confident in my strength and skills to do the planned workout.
Applying These Factors Beyond the Gym
These factors are universal. They apply to any type of task, from house chores like cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry, to work tasks such as writing articles or briefs, implementing marketing, or making sales calls.
They also apply to conversations, whether in-person or via email or text messaging.
No matter the context, the same principle applies:
When the various batteries are all fully charged, task initiation is easy. We can proceed with little friction — we can “fire on all cylinders.”
In fact, when these batteries are all highly charged, we can even override a weak or disconnected motivation.
The Consequence of Depleted Batteries
Even the strongest motivation is not enough to overcome a depleted set of batteries.
The more of these batteries that are depleted, however, the harder it is to initiate and sustain action — no matter how many “motives” you have or how strong they are.
This is the hard truth:
Even the strongest motivation is not enough to overcome a depleted set of batteries.
Failure to act in these conditions can look like “lack of motivation” or procrastination, but the reality is more subtle and complicated. We might simply be in a nervous system shut-down or lacking the necessary support structures to act.
In fact, high motivation with depleted batteries often results in feelings of guilt or shame; we believe something is wrong with us when we can’t “just start.”
When it comes to taking action, nervous system states don’t always cooperate with desire, and they definitely don’t respond to demands. That’s why motivation isn’t enough and the advice to “just start” falls flat.
It doesn’t matter how much you want to get to your destination; your car won’t go anywhere if the battery is dead and the gas tank is empty.
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