By Tara Carman-French
Try This Month: Shrink The Task
For many people with ADHD or learning disabilities, the hardest part of a task isn’t doing it—it’s starting it.
Big, vague, or emotionally loaded tasks trigger avoidance because the brain can’t see a clear entry point. That doesn’t mean someone is unmotivated. It means the task is too large, or too scary, to approach safely.
This month, we shrink.
Try this month:
Choose one avoided task. Break it down until the first step feels almost laughably small. Examples:
- Open the document
- Put materials on the table
- Write one sentence
- Set a five-minute timer
That’s it. The goal is to begin, not to complete.
When tasks feel smaller, the nervous system stays calmer. Action becomes possible. Momentum may follow—but it doesn’t have to.
If you’re supporting someone else, resist the urge to push past this step. Stopping after the first small action still counts as success.
This builds on externalizing the brain. When tasks are visible, concrete, and small, they’re less threatening and more accessible.
Next month, we’ll focus on learning itself—specifically how changing input can make information easier to process.
I would love to hear how this Try This Month worked or didn’t work for you. Drop us a comment on our social media or connect with us directly at [email protected].
