Task initiation is one of the many executive functioning skills that can be a real big challenge for women with ADHD. This is the ability to start a task or a project right way when needed. It includes being able to overcome procrastination, the task/project is overwhelming, you don’t know where or how to begin, thinks it is too difficult ,worries that it’s going to take you “forever” to do it and just doesn’t have the patience or time, or you don’t have the materials they need. Even though task may seem simple to do, but it can encompass a wide range of different skills. Some examples of task initiation could include
-Identifies and gathers the materials necessary to complete a task.
-Completes the final step of one job
-Responds to a countdown timer to begin a task.
-Independently identifies the starting point for an unfamiliar task.
-Refrains from problem behavior when asked to start a task.
-Leaves a preferred activity to begin a non-preferred activity.
-Understands when to ask for help and when to keep trying to solve a problem independently.
Task initiation skills can certainly be improved with practice. Here are some strategies to help you with task initiation at home, life, and work
Make A Plan- Not knowing what steps to take before starting a task or a project can impact your ability to get started. As you are planning you are training your ADHD brain to get ready for a task or project. Once the plan is set, it will be much easier for you to start without putting things off. In order to make a plan to get started, just answer some simple questions about your upcoming task or project.
What: clean bathroom
When: every Tuesday and Thursday
Where: My home
How: I will set reminders in my phone
Why: I want my bathroom to be clean and organized
Just by completing a simple plan that takes only 5 minutes or less, you can now have some solid direction for your task and makes getting started much easier
Setting Cues & Reminders- Giving yourself certain cues and reminders to start a task can be an effective way to get yourself going. Every time you remind yourself it is a little push in the right direction. You can use these simple strategies to incorporate these reminders into your daily life so you can get started on what you need to
-Set an alarm on your cell phone to go off around the time you plan to start
-Write some sticky notes in places where you will definitely see them throughout the day’
-Use self talk to remind yourself to start the task/project and you can also remind yourself what you can do when you are finished
Breaking Down Tasking Into Smaller Steps– Do you ever go to start a task or project but feel like it is to big to even start. That is one of the biggest things I hear from my coaching clients and the main reason why women with ADHD struggle with task initiation. To fix this, you can break down your tasks into smaller steps, and this can be helpful for any tasks especially longer ones that may seem overwhelming from the start. Lets consider the task of looking for employment.
| Task Look for employment in mental health field Write down the steps to complete the task (This doesn’t have to be in order, just write down everything that needs to be done) Research job interests Write a list of jobs that intrigue me. Revise resume by adding recent job experiences Spend 45 minutes looking at job postings Now revise and write down the steps in order to complete the task Revise resume by adding recent job experiences Write a list of jobs that I am qualified for Spend 45 minutes looking at job postings Apply for jobs |
Reduce distractions. Switch your cell phone to silent mode, turn it off, or put it in another room. Being tempted to check email, text, open a notification from an app, and so forth will draw your attention away from the task at hand. All the time you take to check your phone and get back on task is wasted time, and it adds up to quite a bit of time if working for a few hours or more.
In conclusion, if beginning tasks is difficult for you, look at what things stop you or get in the way. Are there specific distractions? Is there boredom with the task at hand? Do you have trouble understanding the directions? Something else? Identifying the causes of your task initiation difficulty and developing behavioral strategies to make it easier to begin tasks will likely lead to greater success with task completion