Imagine if you could follow your ambition without drowning in it – how much more fulfilling life would be? That’s what Pause Purpose Play is all about – finding balance over burnout by setting you free from needing to be perfect, so that you can take action and get started with what matters to you, instead of getting stuck in procrastination and holding yourself back with self-limiting beliefs your inner critic tells you. In this podcast, Michaela Thomas, Clinical Psychologist, Couples Therapist and founder of The Thomas Connection, shares bite-sized learning around psychology of performance, habits, self-confidence, stress, anxiety, perfectionism, parenthood and couples relationships. The podcast will mix solo episodes with guest interviews; diving deep into their professional zone of genius and learning about how they have found pause, purpose and play in their life and in their work. My new book, The Lasting Connection, is available now from all good bookshops.
Episodes
Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
When You Can’t “Just Do It”: Motivation, Self-Discipline & Self-Compassion
You want to do the thing. You care. You’ve got the vision, the list, the intention, and proof that you have done stuff like this before, because you DO achieve things.
And still… nothing. You get stuck procrastafaffing with some irrelevant stuff until you've nearly run out of time. Maybe even feeling ashamed of how hard it feels to "just" start.
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “Why can’t I just do it?”, then this episode is for you.
Inside, Michaela explores:
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Why motivation is so unpredictable for ADHD and burnout-prone brains
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The limits of “just push through” thinking and the myth of self-discipline as force
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Why self-compassion is not weakness, but a legit performance strategy
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What’s actually happening in your nervous system when resistance takes over
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Practical ways to get moving again, encouraging yourself with kindness, not shame
You’ll get some evidence-based reframes here:
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You don’t need to hustle harder or push through
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You need to feel safer - in your body and your brain
Because we can't "just do it" with ADHD, we need to do a little dance with it, creating momentum through taking action and building on that energy step by step, rather than waiting for motivation to magically occur.
Links & Mentions:
Join The ADHD Club: www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/adhdclub
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