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Break a procrastinated task into a startable action

I have been putting this off: {{task}}.

I have been putting this off: {{task}}. Break it down to something I can start right now: (1) diagnose the real reason — ambiguity, difficulty, boredom, or fear of being judged; (2) address that reason specifically, not with 'be more disciplined'; (3) reduce it to a first action doable in five minutes, specific enough to name the file to open and the line to write; (4) give a lowered-bar version — what a 60-point attempt looks like; (5) define a start trigger.

How to use it

Replace the {{variables}} with your own details, then paste the whole block into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other assistant. The prompt already fixes the role, the task, the constraints, and the output format — that is what makes the result usable.

Chinese version

这件事我拖了很久：{{任务}}。请帮我拆到「现在就能开始」的程度：1) 判断我拖延的真实原因——是任务模糊、太难、太无聊、还是怕结果被评价；2) 针对这个原因给对策，不要给「提高自律」这种建议；3) 把任务拆成第一个 5 分钟就能做完的动作（要具体到打开哪个文件、写哪一行）；4) 给一个降低完成标准的版本（60 分版本长什么样）；5) 设定一个启动信号。

FAQ

What is this prompt for?

I have been putting this off: {{task}}.

Do I need to pay to use it?

No — this prompt is in the free tier and is shown in full.

Does it work with any AI model?

Yes. It is plain text, so it works with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and any other assistant.

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