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“Discipline isn’t solely reliant on sheer willpower or habits; rather, it’s an emotion that can be nurtured and cultivated.”

— HealthyGamerGG in “Discipline Is Actually An Emotion”

Motivation is a rare resource for me, especially as someone diagnosed with ADHD and who also generally lacks discipline.

As a creative and main caretaker of the house, I struggle to find the drive to tackle the endless tasks I want and need to get done. If there’s no immediate reward, it feels impossible to start.

It’s not that I don’t want to get things done — I really do. I always have different plans and goals.

But the thought of starting overwhelms me, then that good ole’ executive function slam dunks me into the EA Launcher and suddenly I’m playing another Sims legacy challenge when I should be unpacking the boxes we still haven’t touched since moving in back in February.

I mean, it’s easier to do the easy thing. Sometimes even necessary.

But the world doesn’t stop for anyone, and at some point you have to put on your big boy pants and tackle the laundry piling up in the corner of the room or that article you told yourself to finish three weeks ago (this is a personal call-out.)

Desperate to get something done, I looked into how other people solved this problem for themselves. A lot. There were many things that I tried that didn’t work for me, but one major thing did.

I discovered how motivation works for me, and how to tap into that motivation in other areas.

Easier said than done, right?

As long as you have the willingness to get curious about yourself, and to experiment with different tactics — then you can do this no problem. Even if it doesn’t work for you, then at the end of the day, we just eliminated one more strategy and we can move onto the next.

Let’s get into it.

I seek out new ways to do the same thing

A while back, I realized my attitude toward a task shifts when I find a fun, new way to do it. Take showers, for example. It used to be a struggle.

Not because I like being a stinky little guy, but because it’s so under-stimulating that every boring second felt like sensory torture.

Maybe that’s a symptom of a much bigger issue, but listen — I needed to meet myself where I was at.

So, I bought a waterproof phone mount for my shower and started watching YouTube while I washed up. Suddenly, showers became fun and went by faster.

Now, I shower every other day, which is a huge win for me — so I’ll take my A+ in mental health, thanks.

But it doesn’t just stop at waterproof phone mounts.

For budgeting, I watch videos about paycheck routines. For cleaning, I binge “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” and invest in organization tools. And for building routines, I use self-care apps like Finch.

I’ll be honest — Finch is like the tenth self-care app I’ve tried, sitting among a graveyard of other abandoned self-improvement apps gathering dust on my home screen.

Don’t even get me started on all the notebooks I bought for journaling.

Nothing really sticks long-term, and I’m cool with that. I enjoy the boost these tools give me while they work, and let them go once they don’t.

This is your permission slip to let go of the expectation that one system will work forever and instead get comfortable with experiencing and trying out different options.

– Ellyce Fulmore in “Keeping Finance Personal”

Giving myself the permission to only use tools for as long as they are helpful has really helped me stay consistent with improving, rather than hitting a long-term lull because I’m no longer motivated.

I only do things for 15–30 minutes at a time

One of the biggest challenges I face is time-blindness — I struggle to gauge how long things will take or even notice time passing in general.

I won’t start something just because I dread how long it might take in my already very limited free time. So, I’ve given myself permission to set a 15-minute timer and just do as much as I can in that window.

There’s no pressure to “finish” anything or meet a goal. You simply clean for 15 minutes, and whatever gets done, gets done. Which is better than nothing better at all.

As someone who is super protective of their time, this strategy makes starting way easier. I can do anything for 15 minutes.

And sometimes, once I’ve started, I want to keep going when the timer goes off since I’ve already built the momentum. And if I hate it, I stop and go do something else instead after 15 minutes.

For a long time, I used Study With Me, which is a Pomodoro Timer that cycles between focus periods and break periods, for whatever duration you prefer. Lately, I’ve been using LifeAt, because I prefer the other features it offers.

The point is, there are plenty of tools to help you try this strategy too.

I create a motivating atmosphere

When I’ve got a mountain of emails to tackle in a short time, I send my partner a quick “🤖” — it’s my way of letting him know I’m about to blast some lyric-free Phonk music and go full robot mode, powering through as many emails as I can.

It’s a courtesy warning to get his ear buds, basically.

Subconsciously, I’ve built rituals or “cues” for my brain to know when it’s time to focus, or shift gears into a specific task.

For example, after my morning dog routine, I will light a candle and turn on the fan. The scent and the breeze, over time, have helped me get into the right mindset to journal and meditate.

Without them, something feels off, and it’s harder to get into the flow.

The same goes for budgeting or doing weekly reviews on Sundays — I turn on some Lofi, put on my glasses, and settle in. It’s my way of flipping the switch into admin mode.

Summary

• Seek out new ways to do the same thing: Watch a YouTube video where someone breaks down their organization methods and productivity systems, or even throw on a Podcast where someone shares how they built better habits.
• Only do things for 15–30 minutes at a time: Or even less! Sometimes I set a 5-minute timer if I’m really struggling to start. If you don’t feel like going past the 15 minute mark, don’t! The important thing is you got started, and you can always come back later.
• Create a motivating atmosphere: Find ways to associate certain emotions or focus modes with music, scents, or your environment. These little cues can help you shift your mindset and make it easier to tackle whatever’s in front of you.

It’s important to remember that trying these methods won’t cause a huge shift overnight. These habits took me years of trial and error to build.

Try things, even if you’re certain they won’t work. Giving ourselves permission to fail makes starting a lot less scary.

Doing nothing is a whole lot easier. But it doesn’t feed my soul or make me feel good — getting things done does.

Even if it’s as simple as just folding and putting away my laundry, it’s one step closer to becoming the person I want to be. The person without a hamper full of both clean and dirty clothes.

I hope this helps you take one step closer to the person you want to be too.

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