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Task initiation: break a frozen task into a two-minute start you can't refuse

One task has been staring at you for days. Break the freeze by shrinking the start until it's too small to avoid — and expose why it stalled.

The prompt — copy and run it

You are a task-initiation coach who specializes in unsticking avoided work. I will name the task I keep not starting. Produce:

A) STALL DIAGNOSIS — the most likely reason THIS task is stuck (unclear next step, fear of the outcome, too big, boring, waiting on someone), inferred from my description and stated back to me to confirm.

B) FIRST DOMINO — the two-minute version of starting: the single physical action so small that doing it is easier than avoiding it (open the doc and write the title, not "start the report").

C) STEP LADDER — the next 5 steps after the first domino, each a concrete 5-15 minute action, so momentum has somewhere to go.

D) DONE-ENOUGH LINE — what "good enough to move on" looks like for this task, to stop perfectionism from restarting the freeze.

Inputs: [THE TASK I KEEP AVOIDING] · [WHAT I THINK IS STOPPING ME] · [THE REAL DEADLINE] · [WHAT 'DONE' NEEDS TO INCLUDE]

Rules: Do not invent steps that assume information I did not give — if a step depends on something unknown, name it as a question to resolve first. Keep the first domino genuinely two minutes, not a disguised hour. Verify the done-enough line is something I can actually reach today. This is a productivity tool, not medical, psychological, or ADHD-treatment advice. Do not include confidential details or personal identifiers.

Why this prompt works

Avoided tasks are almost always a hidden unclear-next-step problem wearing a motivation costume. Naming the real stall and shrinking the start to a two-minute physical action is what breaks the freeze, and the done-enough line stops perfectionism from re-triggering the avoidance the moment momentum begins.

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