Do the Smallest Amount Possible

One major stumbling block to success is that many people will hesitate to start projects that they aren't sure they can complete. Whether it's writing a book, earning a university degree, learning to play an instrument, or cleaning the kitchen, it's quite easy to look at a big project, get overwhelmed, and decide not to start.

Sometimes this is driven by an idea that you can't do something "on time" so you might as well skip it; "if I can't finish a degree in four years I may as well not start," or "I don't have time to clean the kitchen before my friends come over so I guess I'll just leave it be."

One technique to counter this is to do the least amount of work that you can to move toward your goal.

Why this works

Entry Point

When you're overwhelmed and looking at a big project, it's hard to see where to start. By deciding to identify the smallest step possible and do that, you're giving yourself an entry point into the project. Smallest possible entry points might look like:

Creating a document to write your novel.
Finding a list of schools in your area.
Finding a tutorial on how to tune your instrument.
Putting one cup in the sink.

Inertia

A person at rest likes to stay at rest, a person in motion likes to stay in motion. It can be really hard to shift yourself out of what you are doing now (scrolling on your phone, watching a movie, writing a wiki that very few people will read) to shift into doing something else, especially if it's something that is making you anxious and seems like a lot of work. For more information about activity inertia, check out 5-4-3-2-1-go and Start a Timer.

Inertia is an aspect of executive function, and is especially difficult to manage for people with ADHD and other executive function disorders. Inertia is why it's difficult to start tasks, but also why it can be easy to fall into a groove and continue a task.

Doing the smallest amount possible is actually kind of a cheat code because sometimes you don't actually need to do the smallest amount, you need to trick your brain into switching tasks by telling yourself you'll do the smallest amount. Once you have put one dish in the sink and that makes it easier to fill the dishwasher and while you're at it it would be quite simple to wipe down the counters, and once the counters are clear you can take out the trash and - you get the picture. I call this Inertia Surfing.

Manageable Steps

If you're looking at a task that is huge, sometimes it can look impossible. You're staring up at a sheer cliff and trying to figure out how to climb it. Breaking it down into the smallest amount possible lets you realize that the cliff has a staircase carved into it. You are looking at the bottom step and it's manageable; the next step might be harder, and the 50th step may require some rope and an anchor, but you are no longer looking up at a cliff going "no fucking way."

Making the steps manageable

"Okay, Ms-Demeanor," you might say, "that's all well and good but I don't know where to start, and step 20 IS insurmountable, what now?" and I have good news for you because thinking about what step to take is actually the first step, you are already building momentum, awesome. But below are some tips for both getting started and keeping future steps as small as you can make them.

Get Started

Clear out a workspace for yourself. Sometimes the first step to writing a novel is taking the old coffee cups off your desk.
Look around the periphery of the task. You aren't looking for the logical starting place, you are looking for the smallest starting place. Maybe cleaning up your yard is daunting because it's a mess and the wheelbarrow needs the wheels replaced and your pruning shears are dull and you can't even find your yard clothes, so maybe the smallest way you can start to clean up your yard is to sort your laundry.
Start a Timer. Even if you don't know how to start, you use the timer you've set to write out a list of steps that you know will be part of the process, and one of those steps will probably lead you in to where you need to start.

Keeping Steps Small

Break big steps into smaller steps. If taking out the trash looks like a big step, break it down into "take the lid off of the trash can, get a replacement trashbag ready, tie off the bag that's currently in the bin, pull it out of the bin, take it to the outside trash can/trash chute/dumpster, come back inside, open the new bag, put the new bag in the bin, replace the lid." That was one step, but it was also nine steps.

Managing your own Engagement

Know your limits and pause before you hit them. Getting frustrated makes every step look bigger; give yourself permission to take a break when you get frustrated because you're not trying to finish the entire thing right now, you are trying to do the smallest amount possible; if you have gotten to a place where you're frustrated you've already done the smallest amount possible, so you've already succeeded and can take a break.
Multi-task with something fun. If one of your steps is "go pick up my medication," think about how you can make it more fun. Is there a podcast you've been saving? Do you want to pick up a drink at the drug store? Is there a nice route to the drugstore that you might like to drive? Give yourself treats if you can. If you're trying to get a degree and you've got one class that semester that you know is going to be a nightmare, pair it with an elective that you know you will enjoy so the whole semester doesn't feel awful. If you're writing your novel, put on some good music and make yourself a tasty snack to have on hand. It's going to sound patronizing to say this, but give yourself positive reinforcement for doing the things you want to do, treat yourself like a dog you're trying to train to shake hands instead of like a puritan who has to atone for every moment of pleasure and you're probably going to find that a lot of stuff gets easier to do really quickly.