Momentum Is Built Through Small Steps

An underlying principle for any effective productivity system is to break things down into smaller, more manageable parts. Goals should be broken down into projects, which should be broken down into tasks, and tasks broken down into subtasks. This not only encourages clarity, but helps build momentum as small tasks are completed.

How small should tasks be? That depends on the person. Some experimentation is necessary until a good balance is found. A good rule of thumb is tasks that take 25 minutes to complete — the length of a single Pomodoro. For dealing with procrastination, you may want to go as small as 2 minutes. Avoid creating tasks that don’t have a clear next action.

If I’m struggling to start on a task, I create easy subtasks and start completing those to build momentum. Sometimes, that subtask is as simple as “attempt to start this task”, and that’s enough to start building momentum.

Food for Thought

Aim low, but up—that is advice from Jordan Peterson that has always stuck with me.