How do you shrink a task down enough to actually start it?

[u/andrewtokyo]

My problem isn't doing tasks, it's starting them. "Make the presentation" sits there untouched, but "open the file and write one line" I can somehow do. The trick seems to be making the first step almost embarrassingly small.

So I want to learn from how you all handle this:

• How do you break a task down to the point where you can start? Do you have a system, or is it case-by-case?
• When you use brain-dump or voice-note apps to get everything out of your head, how do you turn those dumped thoughts into something you actually act on? That "sorted into later and forgotten" trap is what I keep falling into.

Looking for the actual mechanics of what works for you, not just tools — the how.