2 | The Real Movers: Micro Tasks

The spark which lights up an idea begins with a vision. The final project’s image is crystal clear in our heads. We can vividly picture how we will make a change in people’s lives and imagine heart-pumping scenarios. I know it closely. Happens to me once a week.

Many times, we cannot really comprehend what the path to progress on the project looks like. We are overwhelmed by the enormous task of ‘the project’. The truth is that every project is built from countless micro tasks, which are often very practical, uninspiring, and… a bit dull. The first micro task is what will help us in making progress, and the project to move forward.

Here’s an invitation to come up with the tiniest task you can think of, to get going. It needs to take no longer than an hour, and you need to be able to finish it within 24 hours.

Don’t underestimate this challenge. Don’t dismiss it. Just start. After compilation, it will be easier to think of just one more micro task: make a phone call, time-limited online research, getting someone’s email address.

Later on, we’ll discuss how to carry on from here. In the meantime, just continue working through micro tasks, continuously, gradually. (shhh… this is exactly how your project will be up and running without you even having the chance to get cold feet).

The perfect scope for a micro task

Too wide: Building a website.
Micro task: Buying a domain.

Too wide: Start designing.
Micro task: Find a color palette by browsing Pinterest for 30 minutes.

Too wide: Write an article.
Micro task: Jot down (even lousy) main points. Whatever comes up.

Common obstacles and solutions

“Why the *&^$ am I not just starting?”
It’s important to understand why we haven’t started our project yet. Our inner judgment, in many cases, is a dominant component in our inability to start. Thoughts like “I should have started a long time ago”, “why am I not doing anything with my idea/my life/my new business” are paralyzing and only feed the fear to begin.

“Hold on, I’ve got many more tasks for this project!”
Put them on paper, mainly to get them out of your head. In practice, this is not your complete and accurate to-do list. Tasks will be added, and the attempt to stay on track to an incomplete list will only leave you demoralized. In the worst-case scenario, it will even cause you to drop the whole project (talking from experience). After doing this to-do-brain-dump list, put it aside and never look at it again. Don’t allow this list to be what stops you.

“A week has already passed and I still didn’t get to finish my micro task”

First, try to uncover what stopped you. Technical knowledge? Doubting your capabilities?
If this is the case, your task was never the correct micro task, or it was too wide.

Go back and think what the smallest thing you need in order to solve what stopped you (Asking for feedback to boost your confidence? Reading about the new platform you want to use for 30 minutes?) is

Here’s an example of a wrong-sized list. When I decided to open an e-commerce shop for Aravrit, I prepared this layout. I filled it with all the tasks I could think of and divided them into 13 weeks. The number of tasks overwhelmed me and made me frustrated. Eventually, the micro task that got me out of this rut was to call a friend and hear his reflections on the platform he uses.

Now, decide on your first micro task. Give yourself 24 hours to accomplish it and remember: it shouldn’t be hard. Let me know in the comments what your first task is!

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>> To download a free day planning template (the one I’ve been using for 4 years!) click here. This will also allow you to get more real-life productivity advice, material on managing multiple projects, and on sharing your work.