Dirty Hands, Delayed Reinforcement

Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.

When faced with a task, if it is interesting, novel, challenging, or urgent, a person with ADHD is likely to be able to initiate. If those characteristics of the task persist, they are likely to complete it as well.

This can result in a “valley of disappointment” where people feel discouraged after putting in weeks or months of hard work without experiencing any results. However, this work was not wasted. It was simply being stored. It is not until much later that the full value of previous efforts is revealed.

Focusing on just getting tasks done either leads to lots of productivity—but not necessarily in the direction you ultimately want to go—or it results