Guides

Practical guides on starting a task, planning a day and the tasks that keep slipping. Each one draws on published research, listed with links at the end.

• Getting started when you don’t feel like it

  Fit the task to the time and energy you have, write down the first step, and commit to fifteen minutes instead of to finishing.

• How many tasks to plan for a day

  Why a short list gets done, how to choose about three tasks that make the day count, and what to do with the rest.

• Tasks you keep putting off

  Why tasks get stuck, and three honest answers: a smaller version today, a later date, or letting it go.