The five-step plan
Big tasks feel like one solid wall. They're not. Anything you have to do can be taken in five calm steps: name it, plan it, list it, work it, and check nothing slipped. Fill it in here, then print it.
My plan
thought club.1Make a strategy
The big-picture approach. How, roughly, are you going to get this done?
2Break it into a checklist
Turn the strategy into small, tickable pieces. Small enough that each one is obviously doable.
3Work through it
Tick each piece as you finish it. This is the part that feels good — watch it fill up.
Use the boxes in step 2 as you go. Nothing else to fill in here.
4Check my work
Before you call it done, what should you look back over for mistakes?
5Did I miss anything?
Last look at your checklist. Anything unticked? Anything you thought of along the way?
How to use it
Start at the top and don't skip. Naming the thing (step one) is doing something — it turns a vague dread into a sentence you can actually work with. The strategy is the shape; the checklist is the steps; the boxes are the momentum.
The last two steps are the ones people drop, and they're where the marks are. Checking your work and checking your list is not extra — it's the difference between "I think I did it" and "I know I did it." Type into it here, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Made by Thought Club, inspired by the Yellin Center's strategy-first approach to schoolwork. Free to use, print, and share.