How to Get Started When You Have Zero Motivation (Especially with ADHD)

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Have you ever sat there, completely aware of what needs to be done… but you just can’t start?

You might tell yourself you’re lazy or unmotivated—but what if that’s not true at all?

For entrepreneurs with ADHD, that “frozen” feeling is often a sign that your brain is in survival mode—stuck in a state of flight, fight, or freeze. It’s not just procrastination. It’s dysregulation.

When you're in this state, your nervous system is too overwhelmed to access the executive functions needed to plan, prioritize or get things done—especially things that feel stressful, boring, or complicated.

And here’s the tricky part:

When your brain is in survival mode, it won’t respond to logic.

It needs emotional safety, dopamine, or stimulation—the ingredients that create motivation in the ADHD brain.

That’s why getting started feels impossible unless there's urgency, novelty, interest, passion, or competition. Your brain is trying to protect you by avoiding discomfort, not realizing that this “protection” is actually keeping you stuck.

So the first step is recognizing when you’re dysregulated and helping your brain shift gears.

Once you're out of survival mode, then you can use ADHD-specific motivators to help you move forward—and even use a simple trick to get started without force or shame.

Let’s break this down.

Step One: Activate ADHD-Friendly Motivation

Once you’ve recognized that you’re in a dysregulated state, the goal isn’t to push through with willpower—it’s to work with the way your brain thinks.

For those with ADHD, motivation doesn’t come from obligation. It comes from stimulation—specifically from one or more of these five ingredients:

1. Urgency

Your brain may suddenly spring into action when the deadline is today and the clock is ticking. While this adrenaline-fueled panic can “work” in the short term, it’s not sustainable.

But you can create artificial urgency by setting a short timer, using a countdown app, or giving yourself a micro-deadline like, “I’ll do this for the next 10 minutes only.”

Example: Set a timer for 15 minutes and tell yourself, “I don’t have to finish the whole thing—I just need to make progress until the timer goes off.”

I can remember my mom using this technique when I was young, and she was overwhelmed with being a working mom and trying to keep up with everything. It was really helpful.

2. Interest

If a task is dull, your brain tunes out. But adding a layer of fun or stimulation can make it tolerable—even enjoyable.

Example: If you need to do your monthly financial reports (and you hate it), put on your favorite playlist, use colorful pens or spreadsheets, or listen to a podcast while you work. Make the environment more appealing so your brain has something to engage with.

This one is my favorite trick. I bounce back and forth between each of these things.

3. Novelty

Newness wakes up your brain. Changing your approach or physical setting can break through the mental fog and spark some energy.

Example: Try working in a new location (coffee shop, library, outside on a patio). Or change the method—use a voice-to-text app instead of typing, or draw a mind map instead of writing a linear list.

I use a tree image to draw out my mind map, with the different branches representing the areas I need to focus on in my life.

4. Passion

When you connect the task to something you care about, your brain sees meaning—and that creates internal drive.

Example: Remind yourself how this task fits into your bigger vision. “Doing these reports helps me understand my business better, so it can grow into the vision I have for success.” Purpose fuels progress.

5. Competition

Friendly pressure can give your brain a spark. If you’re someone who rises to a challenge, this is a great tool.

Example: Challenge a colleague or friend to see who can knock out their financial reports or clean up their inbox fastest. Make it a race—with bragging rights until next month.

These motivators aren’t magic—but they’re powerful tools when you’re facing a wall of resistance.

Instead of trying to make yourself “just do it,” try asking:

“How can I make this more urgent, interesting, novel, passionate, or competitive?”

But what if none of those work? What if you’re still stuck?

That’s where momentum comes in.

And sometimes, it’s the smallest step—not the biggest push—that gets things rolling.

Step Two: Let Momentum Do the Heavy Lifting

Sometimes, even with all the right motivators in place, you might still feel stuck. The task might still feel too big, too boring, or just too much.

This is when it’s time to lean into momentum.

• Not motivation.

• Not discipline.

• Not pressure.

• Just movement.

If you can’t make yourself do the task, tell yourself:

“All I have to do right now is stand up and move toward it.”

That might mean literally standing up and walking to your desk.

It might mean opening the laptop, pulling out the folder, or jotting down a to-do list on a post-it.

It might even mean just opening the browser tab and taking one deep breath.

Whatever that first step is—that’s enough to get the ball rolling.

And here’s the magic: once your body is in motion, your brain often follows.

You may find yourself doing the thing without resistance. You may even finish it, without any of the dread you felt five minutes ago.

This is especially helpful if your nervous system is still a little dysregulated from stress or overwhelm. You’re not asking yourself to finish the whole thing—you’re just asking yourself to begin.

The trick is, you have to also give yourself permission to let the starting be good enough. If you still don’t feel like you can continue after five minutes, it's totally ok. You don’t want to feel like your just tricking yourself into doing something. You really do have permission to just start if that’s all you can do today.

Step Three: Celebrate the Baby Steps

In an ADHD brain, progress often gets ignored unless it’s huge or perfect. But that thinking kills motivation over time.

Instead, try this: Celebrate every micro-win.

• Did you open the document? That counts.

• Did you write two lines? That counts.

• Did you walk away from the stress spiral and come back when you felt ready? That absolutely counts.

Give yourself credit, not criticism.

Your brain responds to positive feedback—and that creates a virtuous cycle. Every time you acknowledge a small step, you make it more likely that you’ll take another one.

Final Thoughts:

If you’ve been feeling stuck, frozen, or ashamed that you “can’t just do it,” I want you to know this:

• You’re not broken.

• You’re not lazy.

• You’re navigating a brain that needs d

  
  
  
  

  ifferent conditions to function well—and you’re learning how to create them on purpose.

Start small.

Use your motivators.

Lean on momentum.

And celebrate the fact that you’re showing up and figuring it out.

That’s real progress.

Don't forget to download you free checklist.

ADHD friendly motivation checklist.pdf

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