When it comes to finding motivation, Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, can teach us a lot.
A person with ADD generally lacks motivation and focus. They are serial procrastinators, and cannot focus on tasks for the life of them. However, there are some fascinating exceptions.
When the person with ADD has a school assignment, for example, they will procrastinate for all the weeks leading up to the due date, and then one or two nights before the deadline, will magically discover immense energy and focus to finish the task just in time.
Also, those with ADD have an almost inhuman level of energy and focus for something which they are fascinated by or interested in, such as a video game. This is especially true if the activity induces dopamine, which includes video games and social media.
So what gives? And what can we learn from this when seeking motivation to do the ‘important’ things in our lives?
We can start by considering the above two motivating factors which help overcome ADD: Fear, and interest.
Fear
Eight years ago, I d...
