What gives ADHD people energy?

Quick Answer:

Interest, urgency, novelty, and stakes - not willpower. The ADHD brain runs on what researchers call an 'interest-based nervous system,' so a boring task with a deadline in three weeks gets zero fuel, while a fascinating problem or a deadline in three minutes suddenly gets full throttle. Competition, curiosity, and even a bit of chaos can flip the switch too. The trick isn't forcing motivation - it's engineering novelty and urgency into the tasks that actually matter.