Why Is Getting Started So Difficult With ADHD?

Do you or your child, teen, or young adult struggle with ADHD? If you answered yes, then you know that getting started can be the hardest part of getting a task or assignment done. Getting started is also known as initiation, and it is a genuine challenge. It’s not about being lazy or lacking motivation, but rather a true struggle that is linked to how the ADHD brain processes time, motivation, and execution.

If you’re a teenager, young adult, adult with ADHD, or a parent who is raising a child with ADHD, the struggle with initiation can be very frustrating and is often misunderstood.

What Is Initiation?

Initiation is the ability to begin a task or activity independently. For people with ADHD, there’s a gap between wanting to start and actually starting. This is not caused by a lack of desire, but rather by neurological differences that affect dopamine regulation. Dopamine regulation impacts time perception and prioritization, which are the precursors to initiation, or getting started (MacDonald, Kleppe, Szigetvari, Haavik, 2024).

What does that end up looking like?

• Feeling "stuck" even when you know what you need to do and how to do it.
• Staying away from tasks that feel or look too large or boring, or that will take a long time.
• Needing an absolute deadline or that “last-minute rush” to actually get things done.
• Getting overwhelmed by having to make decisions.
• Not knowing how or where to start.

This can result in procrastination, low self-esteem, and a cycle of shame. From the outside, it looks like nothing is getting done. On the inside, there is a battle being fought.

Three Strategies to Help You or Your Child Get Started

Just Five Minutes

When you’re struggling to get started, tell yourself, “I can work on this for five minutes,” which feels doable. That short period of time can feel manageable and help to start the movement on a task. This helps to make the task feel small, which can create momentum. Once the “wheels are turning,” it’s easier to keep going and possibly even finish the task. Set a timer for five minutes and tell yourself, “I’m going to see what I can get done in five minutes and then stop.” Start with one small part of the task to get it rolling.

Create a Consistent Routine

For younger children, it helps to have a consistent routine for the morning, after school, and bedtime. That is, the sequence of events remains the same, so there is no novelty to adjust to.

For a teen or young adult, it means setting up a routine each night where certain items are placed so they can be easily picked up in the morning. For example, at 9 p.m., I charge my Chromebook and pack all of my school materials into my bag. I place my bag on the right side of the bedroom door. Clothes are taken out for the next day, and sneakers and socks are laid out. The same type of routine can be set up for younger kids.

For adults/parents, it may mean packing lunches for kids and parents at night and setting up all of the materials needed for the next day.

The goal is to have set routines so you are not thinking about what needs to be done each and every day. The more systems you have set up, the less energy you will need to give to routines, which will increase remembering and getting things done.

Why do these routines work? Because the ADHD brain struggles with self-direction and remembering “what comes next.” Having set and consistent routines reduces the amount of initiation and the energy needed to start (MacDonald, Kleppe, Szigetvari, Haavik, 2024).

Find Your Body Double or Turn On the Music

Do you know what else tricks your brain and gets you moving? Combining a difficult task with something enjoyable, like turning on the music. The ADHD brain craves constant stimulation, and daily tasks and homework feel boring. But what happens when you pair up something enjoyable with something boring? That task feels doable.

• Turn on the music or a podcast while you’re folding laundry.
• Need to clean your room? Try to get it cleaned up for the duration of one song.

Having a hard time getting started on homework or studying for a test? Sit by a parent or sibling to get that done. Adults, go to a local coffee shop and sit amongst others, and get whatever you need to get done on your computer. When I’m struggling to work on a psycho-educational evaluation write-up, I drive myself over to a Starbucks and sit there. I know, logically, that nobody is watching my productivity, but the other people’s energy keeps me working for a much longer duration than I would if I were sitting at my home or office desk.

ADHD Essential Reads

Managing ADHD in the Workplace

3 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew About IEP Meetings

The ADHD initiation struggle is real. It’s not a function of personality or character but rather a true neurological impact. Find the tools to get started, and feel free to share what other strategies have worked for you.