When we do a “simple” task—say, making a phone call—we’re not just dealing with that task. We’re also dealing with an emotional barrier that has been built from past failures with the task. Brendan Mahan, ADHD coach and founder of ADHD Essentials, calls this barrier a “Wall of Awful.” The more we’ve struggled with a task in the past, the more failure, disappointment, rejection, and worry we’ve experienced as a result. The more of these negative experiences we have endured, the higher that wall. We don’t just need enough motivation to complete the task. We also need enough motivation—and often
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