Minutes one through three: unload

Capture every demand, worry, errand and reminder. Include emotional tasks too, such as checking on a friend or talking with your child.

Minutes four through seven: reduce

Circle one must-do, one helpful task and one tiny win. Cross out anything created only by guilt or comparison.

Minutes eight through ten: begin

Choose the smallest physical action: open the form, put the bag by the door or send the first sentence. Momentum often arrives after starting, not before.