Guides

Getting started when a task will not start

Short pages for the moment before you begin. Each one is a way to make a start smaller. None of them is medical advice.

How to start a task when you have ADHD
Name the stuck task in one messy sentence, pick a first step that fits in five minutes, and allow yourself to stop when the timer ends.
The 5-minute rule for procrastination
Commit to five minutes on one stuck task, keep permission to stop, and count the session even when the whole job is still unfinished.
How to break down an overwhelming task
Split one stuck job into 3 to 8 visible steps, put a rough time on each, and mark a single first step. Leave the rest for later.
Task paralysis: what to do in the first minute
When you cannot start, cut the choice to one next motion, set a five-minute ceiling, and park every other thought until that minute is over.
How to clean your room with ADHD
Clean one surface for five minutes. A room gets finished as a series of small starts, not as one giant clean you have to feel ready for.
How to start homework or studying with ADHD
Open one assignment, work for five minutes, and leave a note that names the next problem. For adults in college, a night class, or their own reading.
How to start chores when you have ADHD
Pick one chore, one container, and five minutes. Dishes, laundry, and mail move by repeating a small start, not by waiting to feel ready.
A visible timer for time blindness
When clock numbers do not feel urgent, use a short timer you can see and let the alarm mean you may stop. Inchly does not measure this.

Try a 5-minute start

Open Inchly in the browser, or get the Android app. No account and no ads. Capture, on-device steps, and the five-minute timer are free to start.

Android package com.montgomeryappworks.inchly.