Why Is It So Hard to Do Small Things?

The first in a new series on executive functions. 🔑

• “I think of myself as an organized person, but sometimes I get stuck.” 

• “I pride myself on working hard, but it can be extremely difficult to get started on tasks that should be simple. I get mad at myself over it, but I can’t figure out how to change.”

• “I read a book on habits, but it didn’t really make sense to me. It felt like some of the language was aimed at aliens or robots, or just people who think different than I do.” 

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you’re not alone. For many people, especially anyone who identifies with neurodivergence, the struggle with small tasks can be a constant and frustrating part of life. 

This post is the first in a series exploring why small tasks often feel disproportionately challenging and what we can do about it.

I’ve said a couple of times that traditional productivity advice is unhelpful (and potentially even detrimental) for lots of people. But why? 

If you look at questions like “why is it hard to do small things?” through the lens of “management thinking” or productivity, you tend to end up with a specific set of answers. 

This perspective often emphasizes discipline, willpower, and routine. Suggestions like “just do it,” “prioritize,” or “block out your time” are common. 

While these lessons can be effective for some people, they often fall short for others. The perspective assumes a level of executive function that may not be present. For someone with ADHD, for example, the challenge is not a lack of desire but the inability to get started due to impaired executive functioning.

Or to take time blocking: this method requires a high level of skill and consistency—and many people struggle with time perception or time blindness, making it difficult to adhere to a strict schedule.

To get better at these things, you should first work on improving executive functions.

Executive Functions 101

Here are some of the most common: 

Organization: the ability to arrange thoughts, tasks, and physical spaces systematically and orderly

Task Initiation: the ability to begin a task promptly without procrastination

Working Memory: the ability to hold and manipulate information in the mind over short periods

Impulse Control: the ability to resist immediate urges in favor of more appropriate or beneficial actions

Focus: the ability to concentrate on a task without becoming distracted

Emotional Regulation: the ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences healthily and adaptively

For each of these functions, you might be able to imagine times where you’ve struggled (and it’s caused some type of problem), as well as times where you’ve excelled. We’ll look at some specific examples throughout the series.

A cat or dog that fetches has to learn executive functions, too: memory (where the stick is thrown), focus (don’t get distracted by squirrels), and problem solving (retrieving the stick from an obstacle, for example), and more. We’re all in this together!

Coming Up in the Series

In the next few posts (there might be a break with some other content here-and-there), I’ll share some tips on HOW you can improve executive functions, with an emphasis on how this affects some really important parts of daily life. 

For example: 

—MONEY (lots of people think they’re “bad at money” but really it’s an executive function deficit or limiting belief)

—TIME (it’s not only time blindness; the general perception of time and relation to it is a huge issue for many of us)

—RELATIONSHIPS (executive function deficits can impact all of our relationships, including those with friends and colleagues)

So in short, if you want to get better at life—get better at executive functions! I’ll share more with you soon.

Conversation Starters

1. When is it hard for you to do small things? 

2. When is it easy? 

3. Did you know you can play fetch with cats as well as dogs?! It’s true—at least with many of them. 

4. Anything else on your mind.

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