What Is Motivation

Many people have a fundamental misunderstanding of what motivation is. Often, people with Executive Dysfunction share similar stories of being told, "Just do it," "What's the problem?" and "You're just lazy." But this couldn't be further from the truth.

You can imagine yourself as a person crossing a dilapidated bridge, with the planks going across the bridge symbolizing your motivation, and your end goal being on the other side. The number of planks and the overall quality of the bridge vary from person to person. However, individuals with executive dysfunction often need certain conditions for the planks to come into formation.

The invisibility and disregard of the bridge’s planks not only spread the reductionist stigma of "just being lazy," but also decrease the overall quality of the goal (if it gets done). Some conditions include: genuinely being interested in the goal, the need for a consequence in the present, or a multitude of other necessary fulfillments. Without these requirements, the bridge is extremely difficult to build and can't simply be done when asked to.

The most crucial aspect of navigating your own ADHD is to ask yourself, What exactly are these planks made of, and how can I manipulate them in order to achieve my goal? The rest of these articles aren't to be used as a universal solution to building your bridge and achieving your goals; however, they are commonly reported as useful tools by patients and accredited psychologists in doing so.