To understand an avoided task, record the task, the moment you expected to act and the friction that was present. Then define one small piece with a visible finish. The aim is to test what changes action, not to turn delay into a judgement about character or a diagnosis.
Name the friction precisely
“I cannot make myself do it” combines several possible conditions. The next step may be unclear, too large, emotionally costly, dependent on somebody else, badly timed or no longer worth doing. Record the closest description without treating the category as a medical explanation.
Also record the context: time, place, available energy, competing obligation and what happened immediately before the avoidance. One entry is an event. Several comparable entries may show a pattern worth changing.
Reduce the task to a finishable piece
Choose a piece that can be completed and observed, such as opening the source record and writing three missing facts. “Make progress” is not a finish condition. Pair the step with a specific cue when that is useful: if the meeting ends, open the record before checking messages.
Implementation-intention research supports cue-linked action in some settings. It cannot make an unsafe, unwanted or structurally blocked task appropriate. Finite attention also means another obligation may be the honest reason the task did not happen.
What is the smallest complete piece of this task?
Replaces an overwhelming label with a visible finish.
What was present at the moment I did not start?
Records a condition rather than a character judgement.
Which observable cue could start the next piece?
Makes the next attempt specific enough to test.
Should this task be changed, delegated or stopped?
Prevents persistence becoming the only permitted answer.
Review without pretending to diagnose
After the attempt, record whether the piece finished and what helped or blocked it. Change one condition at a time where practical. Seek appropriate support when avoidance relates to distress, safety, health or a condition requiring qualified assessment.
The Friction Log retains steps, named friction and review notes locally in the browser. It is a non-clinical working record, not treatment, assessment or proof of a cause.
Frequently asked questions
No conclusion about character follows from one delayed task. Inspect the task, context, consequence and repeated pattern.
Small enough to finish and observe, but substantial enough to produce movement or information.
No. It does not diagnose, treat or assess ADHD or any other condition. It records task friction for practical review.
What private and pay once mean
Private means the downloaded tool needs no account and makes no network requests, so the publisher receives no copy of what you enter. The record stays in the current browser unless you export it. Browser storage and exported backups are not encrypted or protected from another person who can use the same browser profile or read the file.
Pay once means you may keep reusing the version you downloaded without a subscription. Future major versions and continuing support are separate unless they are explicitly included. There is no cloud sync: export a backup before clearing browser data or changing device.
Use the smallest useful tool
The method above does not require a purchase. If a retained local record would reduce repeated setup, review the relevant interactive tool after its tested release.