Why, exactly, is motivation such an issue?

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From everything I've been learning here, it's not just me who has trouble with motivation. I was always a good student and always got my homework done, but yeah, it could take a while. All the same, I never thought of myself as having significant trouble with motivation until I moved out on my own. Honestly, I'd rather just stare into space than do something that had no interest for me. A lot of people tell me they just have to be doing something, anything. But for me, something I want to do is better than nothing, and nothing is better than something I'm uninterested in, which is better than something I hate. Even things that I enjoy doing can be overridden by things I want to do more.

Do you struggle with motivation? Has anyone figured out what helps?

What's the textbook answer for why AS or the autistic spectrum struggles with motivation?

I struggle wih motivation, the reason autistic people struggle with motivation is often they lack a need to impress other people. I often decide not to do things on the basis that I dont think they matter.

Usualy I can only work if i have litrualy nothing else to do. Or if its on something im interested in.

The only time I get around to cleaning my place is when someone is coming over. Well... nobody's been over in um... 9 months now. My place a pretty trashed.

There is just always something I'd rather be doing (usually playing WOW). I justify my laziness by telling myself:

* Nobody is gonna see it, so w/e.
* It's ten hours between leaving for work and getting home from work. This is my time!
* I'll get on track and do my chores tomorrow.

I'm considering making a weekly schedule that consists of just one household chore a day. I think I can manage that.

One of my friends is coming this weekend for a LAN party (computer gamer party) at my place. This will be the first time I've actually seen one of my close friends in almost a year (they all moved away last year). I took tomorrow off work to prepare.

I'm so excited! Nerd levels will be off the charts at Josh's house this weekend!

I constantly have problems with this even something as simple as watching a film the entire way through sometimes.
*I keep putting on repeat certain phrases that sound nice an never finish the film lol* ><

what i find that helps when i can get it at least,is getting someone else to either watch you or partcipate in whatever it is that you want to do or needs doing.This seems to help me focus more i hope this helps some

Exactly! Very well put!

Ha, motivation. One of the reasons my grades were really below how smart I really was.

However, lack of motivation's a pretty well-known symptom of depression... if it's a trait of asperger's also, I guess that explains why I couldn't get anything done when they combined.

Still, yeah motivation's an issue, procrastination too - basically getting anything started, I can force myself to do, but it's always kinda tough!

Last edited by Dnuos on 29 Jul 2010, 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am terrible at motivation. My problem is that I usually just don't care if something gets done or not. If it's important I'll do it, but if it's not then I see no reason to do it and so I don't.

I do the same thing with films. It can take an entire day or longer to watch a full movie.

I want things done. They still don't get done. It's just so hard to start. Also if I manage to start it's hard to take a break because then I have to start all over... so I don't take breaks but work until I collapse. And that experience doesn't make it easier to start the next time.

I want to achieve things but I get sort of stuck in the things that I "want" to do,which sometimes I suspect I dont really "want" to do at all, but some rogue part of my brain seems to keep saying "Yeah! Keep reading about interesting stuf! Dont do any work!"

its a constant battle....

I have a real problem with motivation. The only things that got me through school and university were my fear of failure and my pride. Procrastination and unattainable perfectionism would keep me from starting projects and assignments until the last minute, when I knew I had to start or I would fail for sure, at which point I would work solidly until they were complete.

That's true, having other people rely on me, or simply present, puts me in a totally different mindset. Maybe we have motivation problems because we're alone so much of the time?

Ahh yes motivation. The reason I didn't start a lot of homework assignments in English class in high school lol

I'm the same as most people. I lack motivation for most things. If I'm going out on a date with my girlfriend, I'll shower, shave, etc. Otherwise...ehh I can do it later lol

The same for me.
When I was younger my teachers always said that my grades could be better if only I put more effort in. I did what I had to until it was time to go home, nothing more because I just didn't see any purpose for it. This was probably because of depression as well. I guess you could say that living lost it's charm.
Motivation's not such a problem for me anymore because I have found something worth doing (educationally speaking). However I always procrastinate, sometimes it's a matter of not knowing how to start something so I'd rather not do it than do it wrong.

This reminds me of the question..."If there's no one around to say we exist, do we really exist at all?".
So if there's no one around to say that something needs doing, is it really important? Or if there's no one around to talk to, is there any point in learning to speak?
Sorry I'm just over thinking this and going off topic!

I've always had a lack of motivation, and have a severe case of procrastination. It was documented at an early age, and has been consistent through my life. I have a hard time starting or finishing something I don't want to do or see any point in doing it. I had a hard time doing any kind of homeworks, which is why I had bad grades throughout high school. (and managed to finish high school in four years, barely!) Now, I'm divorced and stuck living here with my mom. My mom wants me to establish a plan for the future. I have to tell her that I can't seem to do it. I have a hard time even starting anything right now, other than preferring to be on the laptop, chatting with fellow autistics on IRC and playing Guild Wars.

I know I need quite a lot of help.

This is about where I'm at.