A result from the quiz Which Executive Function Needs Backup?
Needs Backup: Starting
You can do the task. Beginning it is the hard part.
Your answers point to starting, sometimes called task initiation. You know what needs doing and you're capable of doing it, but getting from "I should" to actually beginning feels like pushing a car uphill.
The smaller and more obvious the first step, the less push it needs.
Things to try
- Make the first step physical and tiny: "open the document".
- Use a two-minute rule: start, and stop after two minutes if you want to.
- Start at the same time each day, so the decision is already made.
A next step
Unstuck, the iPhone app.
Unstuck's I'm stuck button turns any task into one tiny first step, with a 10-minute focus timer. Join the waiting list for the iPhone app.
See what's in the app →
The other results
Which Executive Function Needs Backup?
- Needs Backup: Planning
Ideas come easily. Turning them into steps doesn't. - Needs Backup: Time
Time slips away, and estimates come out short. - Needs Backup: Holding It in Mind
Thoughts, tasks and promises slip away before you act on them. - Needs Backup: Switching
Moving from one thing to the next takes a real effort.
This quiz is for reflection, not diagnosis. Only a qualified clinician can diagnose ADHD. In crisis? Call Samaritans on 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258, or call 999 in an emergency.