On Second Thought, Don't Eat That Frog

Is eating the frog leaving a bad taste in your mouth?

Let me rewind for a second. A few weeks ago, I wrote a brilliant post on eating the frog (go check it out, it’s really quite good). To recap, eating the frog is a productivity technique where you tackle your most challenging or important task first thing in the day, and then go from there.

But here’s the thing—eating frogs or using 1-3-5 or ABCDE prioritization is very outcome-oriented, which can be great for people with non-neurodivergent brains. But what if your brain doesn’t work that way? What if building momentum is more important to you than knocking out that giant task first? What’s more, for many, motivation comes not from what is important, but from what is interesting.

So today let’s talk a bit about how motivation works, take a brief detour into focus, and go over some ways folks with ADHD, or whose brains are wired differently, can find success in getting things done.

What Motivates Most People?

For the average person, motivation usually comes from a sense of importance or urgency. People are often motivated by deadlines, responsibilities and the ever-driving need to achieve and prove people wrong, including everyone from high school who thought you’d never amount to anything and didn’t invite you to their parties where everybody was just oh so cool and couldn’t be bothered to include you because you had a weird mullet, thick glasses, and were socially awkward to the point of nausea...but I digress.

Here are just a few common motivators that work for the average Joe or Jane:

1. Deadlines: I often say “deadlines spur action.” Many people feel the push to get a task done with the ticking clock of a deadline. Knowing there’s a set time frame creates a sense of urgency and gives a natural prioritization to tasks that need immediate attention. Better progress through stress!

2. Responsibilities: Personal and professional responsibilities are powerful motivators. No one wants to break a promise to a friend or fall short of some obligation right? RIGHT! That need to uphold those commitments drives people to act or suffer the crushing guilt of letting someone down (you know who you are.) At the end of the day accountability is a big motivator for people.

3. Achievement: The desire to hit your goals can be a strong motivator. This can include everything from career advancement to personal milestones, such as finishing a marathon or mastering a new skill. Not for me, but ya know for other people who like running and apparently school.

4. Routine: A lot of people find motivation in routine and structure. Having a set schedule or daily habits can make it easier to start and complete tasks without overthinking. Inertia pushing you forward is a great way to make progress whether you like it or now.

5. Rewards: Incentives, whether intrinsic like personal satisfaction or extrinsic like money, can really boost motivation. Knowing there’s some sweet reward at the end of a task can really goose that focus and drive.

While these motivators generally work well for people whose brains respond to traditional structures and expectations, for a good chunk of people, they don’t do squat. These motivators can just create an environment of extra pressure, shame, or confusion. Which brings me to…

When Those Don’t Work, What Can?

It’s generally safe to assume that everybody wants to be interested in what they need to do. But for many, if they have no interest in what they need to get done, it can almost be crippling. There is no “just lock-in and do it” mentality. Instead, there is just the cold, uncaring face of a task you have no desire to do staring you down. But if you can recognize that your motivation is driven more by interest rather than importance, you can structure ways to try and make tasks more interesting so you can stay focused. Recognize that if your brain is wired a bit differently, you might need different kinds of stimuli to get things done. Here’s a list of a few options:

1. Novelty: New and exciting tasks can capture attention and drive motivation. Repetition and routine can be SO BORING, so try varying activities to keep that interest up.

2. Lean into the Dopamine: The brain's reward system plays a pretty critical role in getting going. Tasks that provide immediate satisfaction or a sense of reward tend to be more motivating than those with delayed gratification. So instead of eating that frog, knock out a handful of easy, quick tasks first to build momentum. Just don’t get lost and only do the easy and quick stuff.

3. Be Flexible: A flexible approach to work, with the ability to switch tasks when interest wanes, can be super helpful. Rigid schedules can be stifling, so consider a more adaptable plan of attack.

4. Personal Relevance: Tasks that align with personal passions or goals are usually more motivating. If the work resonates on a personal level, it’s easier to find the drive to complete it. So get creative or use visualization to try and connect that thing you have to do with an outcome that you want.

5. Stimulation: External stimuli, such as background music, movement, or a dynamic environment, can actually boost your motivation. A static setting might not provide the necessary engagement, so work on a playlist that can help get you going.

6. Support Systems: Working alongside others, whether through body doubling (see below) or team projects, can provide a solid boost. Interaction and collaboration can make tasks feel less daunting and more achievable.

Finding the right motivators involves tapping into what makes a task intriguing and rewarding on a personal level. It’s about creating an environment and a system that align with how your brain naturally operates, making productivity feel more natural and less forced.

And Now a Quick Word on Focus

As I write this, it occurs to me that it is worth talking a bit about focus (no—not the 2015 film starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie, which is a sleeper hit and something I’d highly recommend watching). I’m talking about your ability to concentrate on something. Attention and focus are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. Attention is the ability to notice or be aware of something, whereas focus is the ability to concentrate on a task for an extended period. You might have no problem with attention—in fact, you might notice everything! But maintaining focus…that’s a sticky wicket. (I don’t know why I said that, not even sure what a wicket is or why it gets sticky.)

It’s important to touch on because combining motivation with focus is the engine that drives your ability to get things done. So what are some ways that your differently wired brain can dig in and focus? I’m glad you asked:

1. Micro-commitments: If the task at hand seems too large to tackle, focus on just the first 3 steps of that project. Breaking tasks into smaller steps can make them less overwhelming. But don’t break them into too many tasks because that can work against you. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so take a few steps and see how it feels.

2. The 2-minute rule: If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. It’s amazing how much you can get done in small bursts. And this is a great momentum builder as well. For a bit more detail, go check out my previous post on this.

3. Artificial Deadlines: Create your own deadlines to create a sense of urgency. If you have a paper due at the end of the quarter, create a schedule of drafts with due dates. Enlist friends for peer reviews and ask them to hold you to a schedule.

4. Pomodoro Timers: Use a timer to work in short, focused bursts (usually 25 minutes), followed by a break. In the movie Tenet, we learned that a CIA agent can last 18 hours of torture (I’m sure that’s accurate, no need to double-check). So no matter the task, surely you can endure 25 minutes. If that proves to be too long, you can alter your Pomodoro Timer to 15 or 10 minutes.

5. Change Your Environment: Sometimes a change of scenery can make a big difference. Try working in a different room or even outside if possible. Again, novelty can spark interest. You might be more productive if you just get out of your space for a while.

6. Pairing Tasks: Multi-tasking is not your friend, but mono-tasking might be too mundane. So consider bouncing between two different tasks. It will take you longer, but it might prove more interesting.

7. Body Doubling: I know, this sounds like you need a doppelganger, but this actually means working alongside someone else. You don’t even have to be working on the same project, just find a buddy to do their work when you do yours. This can provide accountability and make tasks feel less daunting.

In Conclusion

Finding the right motivators and strategies can make a world of difference in how effectively you get things done. For some, traditional methods like deadlines and routine work wonders. But for others, you might need to lean into what genuinely interests you and adopt a more creative and flexible approach.

Remember, it's all about creating an environment that aligns with your natural inclinations. Whether it's through micro-commitments, the 2-minute rule, or pairing tasks, the key is to experiment and find what works best for you. And don't forget the power of support systems and changing your surroundings to keep things fresh and engaging.

By understanding your unique motivation drivers and how to harness them, you can transform daunting tasks into achievable goals. So, whether you're eating the frog or building momentum with smaller tasks, there's always a way to boost your productivity and make your to-do list a bit more manageable.

And really, who wants to eat a frog anyway? That sounds super gross.