Method
Absurdly small chunks
Slice the task into ridiculously small pieces (20 min); after the first '20-minute torture' the rest feels easy.
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People often expect to jump from ‘I listened to a podcast’ to a difficulty-9 action, dismissing the micro-steps — yet those are the most important part of the work in ADHD. Even a multi-hour audiobook becomes manageable when split into ‘a gazillion’ 20-minute chunks.
Set an absurdly low bar: not ‘write the report’ but ‘open the doc and type the title’. Once you cross the first barrier, momentum usually carries you.
Helps with
Resources & links
2 sources
What the research says
Scientific grade verified against the literature. No entries = no direct studies (graded from mechanism/experience).
- Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation (Bandura & Schunk, 1981)RCT · 1981
- Self-regulation through goal setting (Bandura, 1989 / proximal subgoal experiments)study · 1989
- Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of Effects and Processes (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006)meta-analysis · 2006
- A Field Experiment on Subgoal Framing to Boost Volunteering (Rai et al.)RCT · 2020
What the grade means
A A — strongest evidence: meta-analyses or RCTs directly confirm it works (or, for diagnostic tools, strong validation of accuracy).
B B — good evidence: a single RCT, or a strong mechanism with supporting studies.
C C — weak / preliminary: a plausible mechanism, but few direct, controlled tests.
D D — no evidence: theory or isolated anecdotes, no studies.
Applies to: ADHD Autism AuDHD