Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: It’s all about task gravity: the “weight” of each of your tasks, why it matters, and how to lighten your load. Let’s explore! (We somehow planned this topic several weeks ago without knowing Project Hail Mary was dropping)

Some tasks are light and easy to start, while others feel oddly heavy before you even begin.

Why is that?

We might assume the light tasks feel effortless because they’re genuinely easier, or they involve something we actually want to do.

Meanwhile, for the heavy stuff, we tend to blame things like stress, boredom, disinterest, procrastination, and general resistance.

But so many other factors can make a task feel heavier, like:

The weight of a task is only one piece of the equation, though. Let’s take a closer look at task gravity, or how hard your brain “pulls” on a task to determine its weight and mental impact.

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Now, here’s how task gravity works and how to reduce it!

In the real world, gravity is the force that pulls objects toward each other. The greater the pull, the more an object weighs.

To apply this principle to productivity, let’s try a little visualization:

Picture your brain as its own planet, with its own gravitational pull.

Then, pick 2 tasks from your list — a light one, and a heavy one — and imagine them as “objects” on your “planet”.

Once you’ve got a rough picture, ask yourself: “How hard is my mind ‘pulling’ at each of these tasks?” If it helps, try to “move” your objects and see how fast (or slow) they go.

You’ll likely find your brain “pulls” at some tasks a lot harder than others. And the strength of that pull can vary from moment to moment, depending on all sorts of factors.

Now, let’s pretend all that pulling is coming from real strings attached to your heavy task, holding it back and slowing it down.

Roughly how many “strings” are there? And what does each one represent? Pressure, high stakes, lack of clarity?

If you’re ever unsure about how much a task is really “weighing” on you, try this visualization.

For now, let’s explore how you can cut some of those strings to reduce the weight and speed things up.

Make the first step extremely small, like opening a document, or reading the first line of a chapter. Don’t fret if this feels like “cheating” — that’s kinda the point!

Because starting’s often the hardest part, try “micro” work sessions. Set a timer for 5 minutes, sit down, and work until the timer goes off.

Once time’s up, you’re free to take a break and pat yourself on the back. Rinse and repeat as often as you need. Remember, 5 minutes is always better than 0 minutes!

Even if your task is vague, you can always replace it with a clear move.

Let’s say you’re waiting for something — a meeting to start, input from someone else — before you can start your task.

While you’re waiting, your next action might be, “Review notes ahead of meeting,” or “Follow up with project contributors.”

That way, you’re still making progress even if you’re not able to “do” anything.

Since so much of a task’s weight comes from the expected outcome, it makes sense that we laser-focus on “just getting it done”.

This can backfire with heavy tasks, though. So, if it works for you, take it slow, break things up, and focus on starting each work session versus finishing the whole task.

Speaking of breaking things up, splitting up your task into multiple steps is often a more logical way to get things done.

That’s because a lot of our “tasks” are actually whole projects in disguise, with more steps and dependencies than we might realize.

Knowing the difference between a task and project — and adjusting your schedule accordingly — is a superpower. So don’t be afraid to keep digging at that task. You just might uncover a better way to tackle it!

We’ve talked about the difference between motivation and momentum before, so if you need a refresher, check it out.

But before you go, here’s your reminder that starting often dissolves resistance, and small beginnings create momentum.

Your brain often overestimates how long and difficult most tasks really are.

That’s by design, because your brain’s job is to protect you from danger. But it also makes life in the modern world a bit harder.

The point of reducing task gravity is to make things easier to start, rather than simply “motivating” yourself. Motivation is fleeting and unsustainable. Aim for momentum instead, and you’ll strike true every time.

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Flocus helps you reduce task friction with a calm, distraction-free dashboard that keeps your focus simple and clear. With Tasks now more seamlessly built into your workflow, it’s easier to check in, make quick updates, and keep things moving without breaking your flow.

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Task gravity can be tricky to figure out. But with some simple visualization techniques and tweaks to your mindset, you can start to lighten your load, one task at a time.

What’d you think of this issue? We always love reading your feedback!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team