You’ve been there. There is a Task that feels too big to manage, too much to even start, so instead of starting, you sit there, beating yourself up for not getting it done. You need a healthy dose of behavior activation.
Apparently, there’s a website for that! I was recently introduced to Goblin Tools, AKA Magic To Do: Breaking Things Down So You Don’t.
The site lets you create a to-do list, but it doesn’t stop there. When I add “laundry” to my list, there is a magic wand icon I can click that breaks it down into 14 mini tasks:
- Gather dirty clothes
- Sort clothes into categories
- Check clothing labels for washing instructions
And so on, all the way to “Put away clean clothes.” I can check off each mini step as I go, AND each mini step has its own magic wand icon! For example, when I magic wand “Load clothes into washing machine,” I get prompted to:
- Open the washing machine door or lid
- Place dirty clothes inside the washing machine
- Check pockets for any items
- Close the washing machine door or lid securely
You can keep magic wand-ing tasks until the individual parts are small enough for your executive functioning to manage.
I will be using this tool daily.