Resource: Task Planning Framework
This is a series of questions that me and my clients have been using for years to help us cut through the overwhelm that often faces us when we're trying to get into a pile of work. Breaking down what feels so huge into something smaller and time bound, and then giving us space to care for our experience in the midst of it, often makes it feel a lot more accessible to take the first step.
Obviously won't work for every single task, or every single brain, but I hope it gives you a place to start! As with everything, feel free to try it out and then tweak it as needed!
I find it really helpful to write down the answers to each question, seeing it on paper helps!
Start by asking:
-What’s the bare minimum I need to do to feel like I’m not drowning? Like the absolute least that could get done to make me feel a little more on top of things just for today.
-What’s one more bonus thing that would be nice to do but doesn’t necessarily have to happen right now?
-How long do I think it would it take me to do the bare minimum?
-How long do I think it would it take to do the bonus thing?
-What’s one way I could make this fun or exciting for myself (food I can eat during, show I can watch, being in the backyard/in bed, etc)?
-And then verbalize “ok the bare minimum would take me x amount of time, if I started now I would be done by (time). If I got to the end of that and had a little more energy, I could do the bonus thing and then I’d be done by (time).”
And then see how you feel about diving in!