Why do I procrastinate on big tasks even when they're important?

Procrastinating on big tasks usually happens because their name describes an outcome, not an action. When you read ‘do the tax return’ you don't know what to tackle first, so you end up choosing something clearer. Rewriting it as a first step with a concrete verb removes that uncertainty and makes it easier to start.

How long should the first step of a big task take?

The first step of a big task should be short enough that you don't bargain with yourself over it. There's no universal duration: it depends on the person and on the day. The practical rule is that if you read it and keep putting it off, it's still too big and worth breaking down again.

Should I put every step of a project on my to-do list?

Not every step of a project should go on your daily to-do list. Only the next step goes on the list, and the rest is kept in a project note. That way your daily list shows actions you can do today, not an entire project that feels intimidating.

What should I do if the first step of a task depends on someone else?

When the first step of a task depends on someone else, your real step is the one that sets things in motion: sending the email, making the call or leaving the message. Then note in your calendar when to check for a reply, so you're not left waiting without knowing whether to chase it up.

Published on 9 November 20265 min readMadrugo team

Procrastinating on a big task: 5-step method and table

Calendar and tasks

The short answer: a big task gets put off because it doesn't tell you what to do right now. Break it down until the first step starts with a physical verb, fits into a short slot and doesn't require any other decision. Put only that step on today's list, give it a slot in your calendar and keep the rest written down somewhere else.

3 signs a big task is badly written

A task is badly written when its name is an outcome rather than an action: ‘Tax return’, ‘New website’, ‘House move’. These are the clearest signs:

It doesn't start with a verb: a noun doesn't tell you what you need to do first.
It has been copied from one list to the next for days: every time you see it, you skip it, and every skip makes it feel heavier.
You'd have to decide something before starting it: which template to use, who to ask, where to begin. That decision is the real first step.

If a task shows even one of these signs, you're not short on willpower: the task just needs breaking down.

A 5-step method for breaking down a big task

The method is to work down from the outcome to the action until the next move is obvious.

Write down the finished outcome: one sentence saying how you'll know it's done, for example ‘tax return submitted and confirmation saved’.
Ask what has to happen just before that: keep asking the question, working backwards, until you reach something you can do today without waiting for anyone.
Rewrite that step with a physical verb and a concrete object: ‘open’, ‘find’, ‘call’, ‘copy’, ‘note down’. Avoid ‘prepare’, ‘deal with’ or ‘look at’, which don't say what to actually do.
Trim it down for as long as it still feels like a chore: if you read it and put it off again, break it down once more. ‘Call the landlord’ can become ‘find the landlord's number’.
Put only the first step on today's list: the rest goes in a project note, off the daily list, so it doesn't start looking enormous again.

Once you've finished that step, move on to the second with whatever you've learnt. There's no need to plan the whole route at the start; knowing the next move is enough.

Table of vague tasks rewritten as a first step

The difference between putting something off and getting started usually lies in the verb of the first action. These examples show the shift:

Vague task	What's blocking it	A first step you'll actually start
Do the tax return	You don't know which documents are missing	Open the folder of this year's paperwork and list what's there
Prepare the presentation	There's no structure	Write the title of each slide on a sheet of paper
Find a flat	Too many options at once	Note down the possible areas and your maximum price
Sort out the storage room	Physical reluctance	Take out one box and decide what to do with it
Reply to the difficult email	Worry about the tone	Write in one line what you want to achieve
Switch electricity supplier	Comparing tariffs is tiring	Find your latest bill and note down your usage

Look at the middle column: naming the blocker tells you what the first step has to solve.

How to make room for the first step in your calendar

A first step without a slot in your calendar competes with everything else and usually loses. Three rules help it get done:

Link it to something you already do: straight after your coffee or your first meeting, so you don't have to bargain with yourself over when to start.
Give it a block in your calendar, even a short one: seeing it alongside your appointments tells you whether it genuinely fits today.
Don't mix it with another task: doing it while you answer messages leaves it half-finished again. The table of what to combine when multitasking helps you see what can go together and what can't.

If you use Madrugo, that step appears on the same screen as the day's calendar and email, whether it comes from Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do or iPhone Reminders, and you can create it with a voice command. On the web and on the Mac, you can mark the task as done by hovering over it. At the end of the day, write down the next step as part of the protocol for shutting down your workday, so tomorrow you're not starting from scratch.

4 mistakes when breaking a big task into steps

The most common mistake is planning every step before doing the first one, because planning gives you the same feeling of progress without any actual progress. The other three:

Leaving the big task on the list next to the step: the big one is still intimidating every time you see it; keep it in the project note.
Using verbs of intention: ‘think about’, ‘review’ or ‘organise’ hide the decision you're avoiding.
Writing steps that depend on someone else: if your step is ‘wait for Ana's reply’, the real step is ‘send Ana the email’ and note down when to check back.

To keep exploring the subject, there are more articles on everyday productivity.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I procrastinate on big tasks even when they're important?: Procrastinating on big tasks usually happens because their name describes an outcome, not an action. When you read ‘do the tax return’ you don't know what to tackle first, so you end up choosing something clearer. Rewriting it as a first step with a concrete verb removes that uncertainty and makes it easier to start.
How long should the first step of a big task take?: The first step of a big task should be short enough that you don't bargain with yourself over it. There's no universal duration: it depends on the person and on the day. The practical rule is that if you read it and keep putting it off, it's still too big and worth breaking down again.
Should I put every step of a project on my to-do list?: Not every step of a project should go on your daily to-do list. Only the next step goes on the list, and the rest is kept in a project note. That way your daily list shows actions you can do today, not an entire project that feels intimidating.
What should I do if the first step of a task depends on someone else?: When the first step of a task depends on someone else, your real step is the one that sets things in motion: sending the email, making the call or leaving the message. Then note in your calendar when to check for a reply, so you're not left waiting without knowing whether to chase it up.