Definition of done · personal tasks

What would finished actually look like?

“Sort my life out” has no finish line. “Put this week’s loose papers in one tray” does. Give one task a boundary you can see.

Make a finish-line card ↓ Try an interrupted task

Define this pass, not the whole project.

Fill in four short lines. This page does not assess your productivity, diagnose anything or decide how much you should do. The card stays in this browser session and is not saved.

Your finish-line card

Task

Name one bounded task.

Done when

Describe an observable result.

Park for later

Name work that is outside this pass.

Start with

Choose one physical or digital action.

Four prompts to make the boundary clear.

Copy the card into a note you choose. Empty sections remain labelled as unwritten. If copying is unavailable, select the card text manually. No automatic transfer into Now.

An interrupted task

Leave yourself a place to restart.

Try an unfinished task, choose a note to leave yourself, then switch to a different request. When you return, use your note to decide where to pick up.

Make “done” observable.

“Feel organised” depends on a feeling. “All receipts from this envelope are in one labelled folder” describes something you can check. Use a specific object, quantity or deliverable. You are defining this pass, not claiming the larger project is finished.

Decide where to stop.

If your task is to draft an email, sending it may be a separate task. Write “a draft with the question, relevant details and a proposed next step” as the finish condition. Decide separately when review or approval is needed.

Park the tempting extension.

Clearing a desk can turn into reorganising a room. Name that extra work in advance. When a new idea appears, note it elsewhere and decide whether to return to it later. A boundary is a choice you can revise, not a rule you must obey.

Four examples you can borrow

Clear a desk without reorganising the room

Task: create one writing space. Done: an open notebook fits without moving anything. First action: move the mugs. Outside this pass: drawers, shelves and buying containers. The rest of the room may still be untidy.

Draft an email without clearing the inbox

Task: draft one reply. Done: the draft contains the answer, any open question and the next step. First action: open that message. Outside this pass: old threads, inbox sorting and pressing Send before review.

Review one topic without mastering the subject

Task: review one page of notes. Done: write three questions from that page and mark which need another look. First action: open the chosen page. Outside this pass: rewriting the whole notebook. Completing the pass does not prove mastery.

Gather paperwork without completing the application

Task: gather the documents named on a checklist. Done: each item is either in the folder or listed as missing. First action: open the checklist. Outside this pass: making guesses about missing information or submitting the application.

Now app icon

Have a finish line? Start with one step.

Now: ADHD Task Starter offers a one-task screen, editable first steps, a two-minute starter, Brain Dump and focus timers in its free tier. Optional Pro purchases add routines, deeper history and customization. It is a productivity-support tool, not an ADHD treatment.

Explore Now on the App Store →

iPhone and iPad · iOS 18 or later · Free with in-app purchases. Check current local prices and purchase terms. This finish-line worksheet is a separate web companion, not a native app feature demonstration.

If the task depends on something else, try the task dependency sorter. If it has a clear boundary but uncertain duration, use the task time estimate calculator.

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