Your first step for “”
The whole thing, in parts
Work on the first part a few minutes a day. Each day's step only needs to move the current part forward.
Now start it
Pick a time today and a place, put your phone in another room, count down from three and do the step. Then set a timer for five minutes and decide whether to keep going.
Startr does all of that for you: it writes the step, asks when and where, counts you down at that time, runs the timer and writes tomorrow's step at night.
Start it in StartrHow the tool works
You type one thing you've been avoiding, such as "clean out the garage" or "finish my thesis chapter". The tool splits it into three to five parts in order, then writes a first step for it. The step is one plain sentence that starts with a verb, describes something physical and takes about two minutes. If the step still feels too big, press "Make it smaller" and you'll get an easier one.
It's based on the two-minute rule: a task you avoid usually feels big and vague, and a step that takes two minutes doesn't carry the same weight, so it's much easier to begin. Research on procrastination found that how unpleasant a task feels is one of the strongest predictors of putting it off (Steel, 2007), and shrinking the first step is the most direct way to change that.
Examples
| You type | A first step you might get |
|---|---|
| Clean out the garage | Grab one item from the garage floor. |
| Do my tax return | Log in to the tax website and find last year's return. |
| Apply for jobs | Open one job listing and copy its title into a document. |
| Finish my thesis chapter | Open the chapter file and write one rough sentence. |
| Start going to the gym | Put my gym clothes and shoes by the door. |
Why a first step helps more than a to-do list
A to-do list tells you what needs doing. It doesn't make any item easier to start, and the task you're avoiding tends to move from one day to the next. A first step this small removes the reason to wait, and starting is usually the hardest part. Once you've begun, the task tends to feel less unpleasant than it did in your head. If you want the full set of methods, read how to stop procrastinating.
Questions people ask
Is the task breakdown tool free?
Yes. It's free to use, there's no sign-up, and what you type isn't saved. You can use it up to 20 times an hour.
What makes a good first step?
One sentence that starts with a verb, describes something your hands do and takes about two minutes, such as "Open the report file and write one rough sentence." Avoid steps like "research" or "think about", because they have no clear end.
What should I do after the first step?
Set a timer for five minutes and decide whether to keep going when it rings. Tomorrow, take the next small step on the first part. Startr can do this for you each day, with a start time, a countdown and a timer.
Sources
- Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65