Shrink the first step
Task paralysis eases when the entry point is almost laughably small. "Open the file and type one bad sentence" slips under the wall that "write the report" runs into. More on starting →
a focus tool
Focus sprint.
The hardest part is starting — so this tool makes starting tiny. Name one thing, shrink it to a first step you can't say no to, and sprint alongside a calm companion. You don't have to finish. You just have to begin.
tip: if you feel resistance, make the first step even smaller. "Open the file" counts.
focusing
15:00
Just the first step. I'll sit here with you.
Nothing here is stored on a server — your task and count stay in this browser only.
why it works
Small start, borrowed momentum.
Borrow a body double
Many ADHD brains focus far better with quiet company. The breathing companion is a stand-in for that presence — a gentle sense of someone's here, working alongside me. More strategies →
Make urgency visible
A ticking ring turns invisible time into something you can see draining — a nearer, kinder deadline than the panic of the real one. On time blindness →