Should I do the task I’m avoiding first thing in the morning?

It can help. But what matters most is doing the first small step before anything else, whatever time your day starts.

I stopped after five minutes. Does that still count?

Yes, it absolutely counts. You finished a step, and that’s real progress. Before you stop, write down the next step so you know exactly where to pick up tomorrow.

That one task you keep putting off

Maybe it’s “call the bank”. It’s been on your list for weeks. You get other things done around it, but this one keeps getting skipped, and each day it feels a little heavier. If that sounds familiar, you’re far from alone.

Often the task itself isn’t that big. The call might take ten minutes. What makes it hard is everything it seems to involve: the hold music, the questions you might not know the answers to, and the worry about how it will go. The trick is to make the first step so small that it doesn’t feel like a big deal.

A ten-minute way to start

Minute 0Close your full list, so easier tasks don’t pull you away.
Minute 1Write down the very first step: “Find the bank’s phone number.”
Minute 2Do that one step.
Minute 3Write down the next step: “Find my account number.”
Minute 4Do that one too.
Minute 5Decide what’s next. You can make the call now, or write “call at 9:15 tomorrow” and stop there.

Either way, you’ve made real progress. Tomorrow you’ll have the number ready and a time set, which makes the call much easier to start.

This works for all kinds of tasks. “Update my CV” can start with “open the file”. “Reply to Sam” can start with “open the message and write one sentence”.

Nearer helps you focus on this one task

Nearer shows you one card at a time, so the easier tasks on your list can’t distract you. Add the task you’ve been avoiding and press Break apart. Nearer splits it into small steps and shows you the first one. When you finish it, the next step appears.

Try it on the task you’ve been putting off

7-day free trial. No credit card required.

Common questions

Should I do the task I’m avoiding first thing in the morning?: It can help. But what matters most is doing the first small step before anything else, whatever time your day starts.
I stopped after five minutes. Does that still count?: Yes, it absolutely counts. You finished a step, and that’s real progress. Before you stop, write down the next step so you know exactly where to pick up tomorrow.