This continues the conversation on what motivates people with ADHD. For the start, click here, or read on!
Urgency
Artificial Deadlines
Some might create artificial deadlines as an effective way to generate urgency. Saying “I must have this report done by Tuesday” when there’s really no specific need for it to be done so soon, for example.
But for many people with ADHD this isn’t a viable long-term strategy. Instead, it leads to slips, missed deadlines and most likely a pointless waste of energy and source of vexation.
Alarms
Alarms, recurring reminders and the like, similarly work for only short time frames. People get desensitized to them if they’re used this way every day; they become pointless.
Changing these alarms—reminders to do medications and such—either in how they’re delivered (i.e.: what device or what sound) or when can prolong their usefulness temporarily.
Monthly notices—do the dog’s heartworm preventative, pay the credit card—can be very effective. Otherwise these easily overlooked tasks can fall through the cracks.
True Deadlines
You may find you’re great at doing things right up til the deadline. Of course, this leads to a lot of stress and great risk of missing those deadlines, but for some, it’s a way to get enough dopamine to get a task done.
Importance
The best strategy I’ve found to generating urgency is to frame tasks by their importance. No, doing the laundry is not interesting, novel, challenging or playful. But it is important; either you’re accomplishing the task to care for yourself, and what you wear and your cleanliness matters for your health, confidence, and happiness, or you’re cleaning someone else’s clothes, and they will appreciate it for you. Doing a good deed is always important.