Start This Task

Start This Task is an AI tool for breaking stuck tasks into a concrete first step. Its pages describe it as co-developed with specialists and aimed at people with ADHD or executive dysfunction. The product focuses on task paralysis, a state in which a person wants to start something but cannot identify or initiate the next action. Start This Task turns an overwhelming outcome into one observable action and then builds an editable plan around it.

What is Start This Task?

Start This Task is a task breakdown tool. It is presented as a way to move from an avoided task to an actionable first step. Rather than starting with a broad to-do list, it asks what you are stuck on and uses AI to suggest a startable action. The pages state that task paralysis is not laziness, can be associated with executive-function difficulties, and is commonly described by people with ADHD, though “ADHD task paralysis” is not a diagnosis. The site also notes that task paralysis can appear alongside anxiety or depression. It cites Gollwitzer and Sheeran (2006) to say implementation-intention research connects a specific situation with a concrete response that supports goal initiation. Start This Task’s positioning is practical: identify one clear action now, then let the larger plan form.

How Start This Task works

1. Describe the task you are avoiding. It can be an email, a project, a life admin task, or a creative block. A messy thought is enough.
2. A first step appears immediately. The tool does not require a full plan before you begin. It gives one startable action, such as “Open your email app and click Compose.” You can check it off, start a timer, or enter Focus Mode.
3. A full, editable plan builds around the first step. While you work, Start This Task maps remaining steps. You can rename, reorder, add, delete, or complete steps.
4. Any step can be broken down further. Selecting a smaller Step Size can turn “Write the report” into open → title → first sentence.
5. Focus Mode shows one step at a time. It strips away the full plan, includes a built-in timer, and lets you break a step down smaller without leaving the mode.

Main features

• AI-guided breakdowns and guest try.
• Immediate first-step generation.
• Editable step list that builds around the first action.
• Step sizes: Standard, Small, and Tiny. Standard is for a few complete actions when you have clarity. Small lowers mental load. Tiny is for the smallest possible starting action when even “small” feels like too much.
• Focus Mode with a built-in timer and one-step-at-a-time display.
• Interface elements shown on the pages include task input, “Break down with AI,” Brain Dump, Settings & account, Help & support, and saved AI breakdowns.
• Saved work and plan checking are referenced in the interface, though the pages do not detail how storage works.

Pricing

Start This Task has two plans shown on its pricing page. Free costs $0 and includes 15 guided breakdowns per month in total, including the guest try. The pages say users can get one complete guided breakdown before signing in. Founding Pro costs $5.90 per month and removes the monthly breakdown cap for normal personal use. Both plans include the core task breakdown flow; the difference is how often users can keep using it. On Free, each successful request, including smaller steps, uses the same monthly allowance. After the allowance, Free users wait for the next monthly reset or upgrade. Founding Pro users can use smaller steps whenever needed without waiting for a monthly reset. The supplied pages do not list annual pricing, cancellation terms, or refund details, although the pricing FAQ asks about cancellation and refunds. The contact email listed is support@startthistask.com.

Common use cases

Common use cases described on the pages include emails, projects, life admin tasks, and creative blocks. The tool is intended for people with ADHD or executive dysfunction, and for anyone experiencing task paralysis. It can help when a to-do list stores an outcome but does not make the first action clear. The example “Write the report” still contains research, decisions, drafting, and editing; Start This Task aims to separate those into observable actions. It may be useful for personal tasks that feel too large to begin, especially when users need a lower mental load or a tiny starting action. The pages do not list team, enterprise, or educational use cases.

Limitations

• The pages state that “ADHD task paralysis” is not a diagnosis and describe task paralysis as something that can be associated with executive-function difficulties, anxiety, or depression. Start This Task is not presented as a diagnostic or treatment service.
• The research citation is about implementation intentions supporting goal initiation; the pages do not promise specific outcomes or clinical results.
• Free has a monthly cap of 15 guided breakdowns. Founding Pro removes the cap for “normal personal use,” but the supplied pages do not define that phrase.
• Smaller steps on Free consume the same monthly allowance.
• The pricing FAQ lists cancellation, refund, and plan questions, but the supplied page content does not include their answers. No annual or lifetime pricing is shown.
• The pages do not provide details on supported devices, browsers, integrations, data privacy, security, accessibility, or offline use.
• The supplied pages show interface labels such as Brain Dump and saved AI breakdowns, but they do not explain their full capabilities.

Summary

Start This Task is an AI task breakdown tool for turning overwhelming tasks into a concrete first action. Its workflow emphasizes an immediate startable step, an editable plan, adjustable step sizes, and Focus Mode. Pricing is Free at $0 with 15 guided breakdowns per month including a guest try, or Founding Pro at $5.90 per month with no monthly cap for normal personal use. The pages position it for people with ADHD or executive dysfunction and others facing task paralysis. Before relying on it, users should note that it is not a diagnosis or treatment, and that cancellation, refund, and platform details are not available in the supplied pages.