In my early 20’s I climbed Kilimanjaro. It was a massive moment in my life, where I finally embraced discipline, inspiring me to change my lifestyle completely and led me on to many more impressive accomplishments.
Except it didn’t.
I was so caught up in fear of failure that I didn’t give proper attention to the process of getting there.
What should have been an ideal time to stop drinking, smoking and singlehandedly propping up London’s night time economy actually became a textbook case of ADHD procrastination, catastrophising, some mild-to-severe panicking and increased levels of said drinking and smoking.
So why did it turn out that way? Why was I so worried about failing to get to the top of that hill – and less concerned with actually how I was going to do it?
The answer, it turns out, comes down to a fundamental difference in how ADHD brains are wired.
WIRED FOR INTEREST, NOT IMPORTANCE
Most people’s brains are wired for importance. They can focus on tasks that matter: paying bills, answering emails, preparing for meetings – even when those tasks are catastrophically dull.
ADHD brains? We’re wired for interest.
Here’s what motivates a neurotypical brain:
- Tasks they deem important
- Tasks important to someone important to them
- Long-term rewards and consequences
Here’s what motivates an ADHD brain:
- Personal interest
- Challenge
- Connection
- Novelty
- Or: Fear of immediate consequences (crisis, shame)
Notice the difference? Neurotypical brains can engage with important tasks, even when the process is boring. “This is important, so I’ll do it.”
ADHD brains need the process itself to be engaging. For me, the process of getting fit enough to climb a massive mountain wasn’t as interesting as worrying about whether I’d fail or not.
THE DOPAMINE PROBLEM
This isn’t about willpower. It’s about brain chemistry.
A part of the ADHD puzzle involves something called “hypodopaminergia” – chronically low dopamine function.
When a task carries no interest to an ADHD brain, dopamine levels don’t rise high enough for the brain to activate. You’re literally trying to move a car with the engine off. Physically possible, but a massive struggle. This is called Hypofocus.
When a task carries high interest? The opposite happens. Dopamine floods in. You enter Hyperfocus: fully immersed, losing track of time, unable to disengage.
There’s a sweet spot in between called “intentional focus” where tasks are interesting enough to capture attention, and you can engage purposefully, by choice.
But for ADHD brains, that sweet spot is much smaller than it is for neurotypical brains.
PROCESS > OUTCOME
This is why goal-setting often fails for people with ADHD.
“I want to get fit” – that’s an outcome. It’s important. It’s meaningful.
But if the process is boring? Your brain won’t activate. The importance of the goal isn’t enough to generate the dopamine you need to engage.
I spent 35 years not exercising because I was focused on outcomes:
- “I want to look great with my shirt off on holiday”
- “I need to lose weight for my wedding”
- “I need to do more cardio”
None of that mattered. My brain couldn’t engage.
THE REFRAME
If you have ADHD and you’re constantly battling yourself to do “important” things, you’re fighting your neurology.
You can win occasionally through sheer force of will or fear of consequences. But it’s exhausting. And it’s not sustainable.
Here’s what actually works:
Stop trying to force yourself to care about outcomes.
Instead, design processes that are inherently interesting.
Not “I need to be more organized” (outcome).
But “What organization system would actually be fun to use?” (process).
Not “I need to finish this project” (outcome).
But “How can I make working on this project genuinely engaging?” (process).
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES
So if I was going to climb that mountain again, I’d try and find ways to make the process interesting, rather than important. Because now I know how my brain works, I can focus less on the outcome (important) and more on the process (interesting). It also means that I now really enjoy creating strategies and processes.
The outcomes do still matter… managing my ADHD, building my business, supporting clients. But those outcomes aren’t what get me out of bed.
The processes are.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you’re ADHD and constantly fighting yourself to focus on “important” things, you’re not lazy. You’re not undisciplined.
You’re using the wrong operating system.
Your brain doesn’t run on importance. It runs on interest.
So stop trying to hack importance into your life through guilt, shame, or crisis.
Start building processes that your brain actually wants to engage with.
Not because they lead somewhere.
But because they’re worth doing for their own sake.
What process – not outcome – genuinely engages your brain?
P.s.
I did get to the top of Kilimanjaro, but it was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Now that I know more about how my ADHD brain works, what challenge should I try next?