5 tips for getting stuff done

As a workplace coach, I frequently hear clients state that no matter how carefully they schedule and manage their time and duties, they still fail because they are unable to concentrate on what needs to be done at that moment.

Often, this boils down to motivation; for whatever reason, at that time the brain is simply not motivated to do whatever task we had planned. Essentially there’s a gap between what we intend to do and what we want to do at that moment; think of the intention to do something and actually doing that something as being opposite sides of a fast-flowing river.

Trying to get from one side to the other often fails because we keep getting swept away by the river! What we need is a bridge - a motivation bridge!

What is a motivation bridge?

Motivation bridges are made up of planks with names like “I promised to do this”, and “others are waiting on me to do this”. We rarely have enough planks to make a complete bridge but that’s okay, we can usually manage if the gaps between planks are small enough. Unfortunately, for neurodifferent people, particularly ADHD, there are often way too few planks to make anywhere near a bridge big enough to span the gaping chasm between intent and execution!

We may really want to get this task finished but there are just too many missing planks. Often this ends up leaving us frustrated, getting cross with ourselves, and berating ourselves with thoughts of “I must just be lazy” - and especially if it’s something we’ve managed to do lots of times before.

So, what can we do?

Sticking with our bridge analogy, we need to find more planks to fill in the gaps on our motivation bridge, and for most people, and especially ADHD brains, planks will be things that we respond to, like urgency, accountability, making the task interesting to us…

1. Make it urgent.?Our brains kind of do this anyway; procrastinating over something is often our brain’s way of putting something off until it becomes urgent enough to motivate us, in other words, become a plank in the bridge. But perhaps breaking the task down into a series of smaller, more achievable, deadlines might be a healthier way of creating urgency.

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1. Be accountable.?Commit to someone else. For example, want to get the housework done? Invite someone over - knowing you will have a visitor, ideally soon, is great motivation to get the housework done. Struggling with that big project deadline? Arrange to meet with a colleague regularly to review your progress on it.

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1. Don’t remove planks that you already have. Being told “don’t worry, just get it to me when you can” is a really kind thing for someone to say, but to someone with ADHD it simply removes that motivation plank from our bridge.

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1. Make it different or new.?Try working from somewhere else; it’s amazing what a difference just working in a different energy/environment can make. Even something simple as having a new pen to write with can help for a while!

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1. Make a game of it. Set a timer and challenge yourself.

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All of the above can give us planks for our bridge. And even if we don’t have enough planks, as long as the gaps aren’t too big, we may still be able to make it across.

The better we get at understanding what works for us, the better we get at building that bridge – and coaching can really help with this awareness. Workplace Coaching is an opportunity to work with a qualified, experienced professional who will not only help you evaluate your own ways of working, but bring fresh perspectives and insights to support your work and well-being. Our coaches are also great at building bridges!

Find out more about Workplace Coaching

Our Workplace Strategy Coaching is a bespoke one-to-one service designed to equip you with the strategies to enable you to overcome barriers in the workplace and develop your skills.

If you’d more information on our Coaching services please get in touch via?[email protected].

About the author

Mark Woodward is Dyslexia Box’s Head of Occupational Delivery.

Mark has worked in the field of neurodiversity for more than 12 years and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in supporting not just people but also teams, managers, and organisations, from creating comprehensive programmes to individual training and coaching.

Prior experience in senior management and operational roles has given Mark an important understanding and awareness of the needs of the organisation, managers, and individual employees.

?Connect with Mark on?LinkedIn.