Why Big Tasks Feel Impossible
If you’ve ever stared at a huge, overwhelming task and thought, “I don’t even know where to start,” you’re not alone.
For neurodivergent individuals, executive dysfunction makes task initiation, prioritization, and follow-through incredibly difficult—especially when tasks feel vague, complex, or just too big.
The Micro-Action Approach is a simple but powerful way to break tasks into ultra-small, manageable steps, making it easier to start, stay engaged, and complete what needs to be done.
Step 1: Identify the “Stuck Point”
Most tasks feel overwhelming because they’re too big or too vague. Your brain doesn’t know where to begin, so it shuts down instead.
📌 Example of a Stuck Task: “Write a research paper”
❌ Why It Feels Impossible: Too many unknowns, no clear starting point.
🔹 Solution: Break it down into the smallest possible starting step—one that feels so easy you can’t fail.
📝 Activity: Write down one task that’s overwhelming you. Ask yourself: What’s stopping me from starting?
Step 2: Reduce the Task to Its Smallest Possible Action
The key to overcoming task paralysis is making the first step laughably small—so small it feels ridiculous not to do it.
Examples of Micro-Actions:
❌ Big Task: Clean the entire kitchen.
✅ Micro-Action: Put one plate in the sink.
❌ Big Task: Write an essay.
✅ Micro-Action: Open a new document and type the title.
❌ Big Task: Organize my email inbox.
✅ Micro-Action: Click on the email app.
Once you complete a micro-action, you build momentum and make it easier to continue.
📝 Activity: Take your overwhelming task and break it into the smallest possible action you can take right now.
Step 3: Use the “First 2-Minute Rule”
If you’re struggling to start, tell yourself:
“I’ll just do this for 2 minutes.”
This removes the pressure of a big commitment. Often, once you start, you’ll keep going naturally.
How It Works:
✔ Set a timer for 2 minutes and work on the task.
✔ If after 2 minutes you want to stop, you can (but most of the time, you won’t).
✔ If you continue, great! Keep going as long as you want.
🔹 Example: Instead of “I need to clean my room,” set a timer and only focus on picking up one object for 2 minutes.
Step 4: The Snowball Effect – Stacking Micro-Actions
Once you complete one tiny action, your brain gets a dopamine boost, making it easier to stack the next action.
How to Stack Micro-Actions:
1️⃣ Do the first tiny action. (Example: Open your laptop.)
2️⃣ Ask: What’s the next small thing? (Type one sentence.)
3️⃣ Keep going if you feel like it. (Type a second sentence.)
Each step naturally leads to the next, creating a snowball effect that gets the task done without overwhelming you.
📝 Activity: Try the First 2-Minute Rule with a real task today and see if you keep going!
Step 5: Externalize the Task (Make It Visible)
Many neurodivergent people struggle with object permanence—if something is out of sight, it’s out of mind.
To stay on track, make your tasks visible using:
✔ Sticky notes – Place a reminder where you’ll see it.
✔ Task cards – Write micro-actions on index cards and flip through them.
✔ Whiteboards – List tiny steps in big, visible writing.
✔ Reminders & alarms – Set a notification for the first step only.
🔹 Example: Instead of writing “Do laundry” on a list, put a sticky note on your hamper that says “Put one shirt in the washer.”
📝 Activity: Choose one way to externalize a task so it stays visible.
Step 6: Break Down “Time Tasks” Into Checkpoints
If your task involves sitting and working for an extended time (like studying, writing, or cleaning), break it into time-based checkpoints.
Example – Studying for 1 Hour:
1️⃣ Study for 5 minutes.
2️⃣ Take a 30-second sensory reset (stretch, deep breath).
3️⃣ Study for another 10 minutes.
4️⃣ Reward yourself with a small dopamine boost (music, snack, fidget toy).
🔹 Why This Works: You’re not forcing yourself into a long, draining session—you’re working with your brain’s attention span.
📝 Activity: Pick a time-based task and plan small checkpoints to break it up.
Step 7: Make Finishing Easy (Soft Landings)
Many neurodivergent people struggle with task completion—not because they’re lazy, but because their brain loses interest before the last step is finished.
To make finishing easier:
✅ Make the last step satisfying – Listen to music while tidying up, use a progress bar, or celebrate.
✅ End on a win – Stop before burnout, so you look forward to continuing.
✅ Have a “closing ritual” – When you finish, say “I’m done, and that’s enough” to train your brain to feel closure.
🔹 Example: Instead of forcing yourself to finish a report in one sitting, stop at 95% completion, so it feels easier to return later.
📝 Activity: Identify one task where you struggle to finish and try using a “soft landing” strategy.
Bringing It All Together: Your Micro-Action Plan
✔ Step 1: Identify the “stuck point” in a task.
✔ Step 2: Reduce the task to the smallest possible action.
✔ Step 3: Use the First 2-Minute Rule to start.
✔ Step 4: Stack micro-actions to build momentum.
✔ Step 5: Make the task visible with external reminders.
✔ Step 6: Break long tasks into small checkpoints.
✔ Step 7: Create a soft landing so finishing feels easy.
You Can Start Right Now 🚀
If you’re holding this book thinking, “Okay, I get it, but I still feel stuck,” here’s your first micro-action:
📌 Right now, choose one tiny step and do it.
✔ Open your notes app.
✔ Write down one small step for a task.
✔ Set a 2-minute timer and start.
That’s it. No pressure, no perfection—just one small step forward.
In the next chapter, we’ll explore focus techniques that actually work for neurodivergent minds, so you can stay engaged without burnout.
Let’s keep going! 🚀
Next Chapter: Focus & Attention – How to Work With, Not Against, Your Brain