The 1-minute start: why your brain needs a smaller first step

The first move can feel heavier than the next ten minutes. A one-minute start lets you begin while the resistance may still be there.

The file is buried under other windows, and the materials are across the room. Put the first tool where your hand already is.

A first attempt that went badly can make starting feel like signing up for the same result. One small start gives you a new experience to remember.

People conserve effort when a reward is uncertain or far away. That broad account can explain a pull toward doing less, but it is a guess about this moment.