THE EFFORT CLIFF
If you're a business owner with ADHD, you probably know this cycle all too well:
➤ You dive into a new project or goal with energy, focus, and motivation.
➤ You push hard, make rapid progress, and hit about 80% completion…
➤ Then suddenly BAM! it feels like you've slammed into a wall.
This is what I call The Effort Cliff…
At the start, the challenge feels exciting.
Your brain is lit up with novelty and challenge, two huge motivators for ADHD.
But once the project is mostly built, the last 20% feels repetitive, boring, or just “not stimulating enough.”
That's when the fall happens over the cliff:
Motivation plummets
Energy dries up
Procrastination kicks in
You move on to something new (leaving the old project and goal stuck at 80%)
Sound familiar?
You're not alone.
This is a common problem for ADHD brains.
We thrive on starting and problem-solving but often struggle with the slower grind of finishing.
Why This Matters: That last 20% is often where the biggest long-term payoff lives:
Sending the proposal and following up to land the client
Launching the product you've already invested months (or years) into
Completing the system that could save you hours every week
BUT….
Leave it unfinished, and all that effort never compounds
How to Overcome the Effort Cliff:
Here are a few strategies I share with clients:
1) Make Finishing a Challenge (Again): Turn the boring endgame into a sprint, a gamified challenge, or an accountability bet with yourself or others when you are sucking wind. Trick your brain into seeing it as exciting again, just long enough to cross the finish line (Ex. Imagine you are in the last 6 miles of a 26.2mile marathon. What would you say to yourself to push through?)
2) Shrink the Cliff: Break the last 20% into micro-steps. Instead of “finish the launch” for a new product offering; instead schedule in all the micro actions that would make it into a successful launch: (Ex. The last 4 steps; 1) Send a launch email 2) Send 25 direct messages to past prospects 3) Call 15 past clients personally inviting them 4) Do steps 1-3 at 10 days and then again at 5 days before the launch offering a special incentive.
3) Externalize Accountability:Share your 80% progress with a coach, peer, or group. Want to know the formula for success?.
A deadline + accountability x encouragement = the motivation and push you need to get it done! **hint hint…cough cough ;)
4) Pre-Commit to Rewards:
Pick a simple reward for completing each micro-step:
a) A walk outside
b) A special treat
c) A half-day off
Try giving your brain something immediate to look forward to, because you've def earned it! Especially if you've been pushing hard, like you've already run the metaphorical 20 out of 26.2 miles of the marathon over the past months or years.
5) Delegate the Dull: If all else fails and simply finishing is dragging on and totally draining for you, try outsourcing or automating parts of it. Free your brain to do what it loves; moving on to solve other complex problems and build momentum elsewhere.
If you've ever fallen off The Effort Cliff, you know you don't have to stay stuck at 80% right? With the right structures and motivational support, you can finish strong and finally cash in on all the effort you've invested along the way.
Want to learn of other motivations that can help you finish more tasks instead of being subconsciously driven by novelty and challenge? Go to my 360 Life Assessment to see what other motivations you can use instead to help bring back effort and perseverance to complete the last 20%. Let's get you to the finish line!
360 LIFE ASSESSMENT: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-3js6x5KsbG8-Iauw4jWEzOdQ48_bs16_tbIc6K3p_o
In Service & Success,
Devin