Imagine this: a high school student has an essay due in one month. They know they have the whole month to finish it so they focus on other assignments that are due sooner. One week from the due date, the teacher reminds the class about the essay due at the end of the month, yet now that student also has two tests, two quizzes, a busy extra-curricular schedule and one more project all due at the same time. Suddenly, the once small task that they had plenty of time for, they now have zero time for. This is an example of where task initiation skills would have come in handy. Task initiation, the opposite of procrastination, can be one of the hardest executive functioning skills to improve. Let’s dive into some strategies and tips to help strengthen this vital skill that is needed not only during school years, but into adulthood as well.
Have a discussion with your child about obstacles that they feel inhibit them from starting their work. Make a list of these obstacles on one side of a paper, and then work together to come up with specific strategies on the other side of the paper of how to perhaps overcome these obstacles. For example, a common obstacle for starting a task might be “This assignment is going to take way too long, and I don’t have time to start on it tonight.” A solution may be to break down the assignment into smaller pieces, i.e. picking two of the fifteen total math problems, or writing just the introduction paragraph of the essay. Have this chart of obstacles and solutions easily accessible so your student can pull it out whenever needed.
For particularly hard-to-start tasks, consider rewards. For example, if there is an assignment that your child has been avoiding all week long, perhaps they can earn a small reward (like their favorite smoothie or a special dessert) if they get started and make significant progress on that work. It will be helpful to specify exactly how much of the assignment they need to complete to earn the reward.
Try using a timer to help with short bursts of work. Set a timer for twenty minutes and tell your child they are going to work on this assignment for twenty minutes only today and then take a break and move onto something else. Sometimes, having a set time to work on it can make the task seem less overwhelming.
Set up a prepared environment for homework time. Make sure that your child has a clutter and distraction free place to get their homework done each day. Consider if they may need reduced access to their phone or the internet during their set homework time. Having a calm and organized environment with minimal distractions can help with task initiation.
Provide extra support at the beginning of hard tasks. It can be helpful to sit with your child as they begin a task or assignment that they have been putting off. Tell them that you are going to get some of your work done while they start to get their work done. This may be enough to give them the structured push they need to get going on their work.
Written by: Laine J