What do I need to use Task to First Step?

The task; Where you're stuck; Why it feels heavy; Your setup.

Is Task to First Step free to use?

Yes — run it free in the browser playground (no API key needed for the sponsored trial, or bring any provider key), or install it into Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT and more via npx pm-claude-skills. MIT-licensed and open source.

Task to First Step

Q: How do I know the Task to First Step output is good?

The skill verifies itself against its own quality checks: The first step is a single physical action, not the task; It's shrunk until resistance would feel absurd; It requires no further decisions; Permission to stop after step one is given.

🔵 Stable🕐 updated 2026-08-06 🔷 SkillSpec L3 pm-focus

Shrink a task you're avoiding down to a first step so small it's almost impossible not to do — beating activation-energy paralysis. Use when asked I can't get started on, help me start this task, this feels too big to begin, or break this down so I can start. Produces the dreaded task decomposed to a laughably tiny first physical action (open the doc, write one sentence), why that specific step lowers the barrier, and the next couple of micro-steps — so starting stops requiring willpower.

▶ Run it free — no key needed 📝 Grade your existing draft View SKILL.md ↗

🗣 Say this to your agent

“I can't get started on my tax return — help me begin.”“This project feels too big to start.”“Break down cleaning the garage so I can actually start.”“I keep avoiding this email. Help me just start it.”“Give me a first step so small I can't say no.”

What to give it

▸The task — the thing you're avoiding

▸Where you're stuck — is it starting, or somewhere in the middle

▸Why it feels heavy — too big, boring, scary, or unclear

▸Your setup — what's around you (so the first step fits reality)

✅ The bar it holds itself to

Every skill in this library self-verifies — these are this skill's own quality checks, straight from its definition.

✓The first step is a single physical action, not the task

✓It's shrunk until resistance would feel absurd

✓It requires no further decisions

✓Permission to stop after step one is given

✓A few momentum micro-steps follow

⚠️ What it refuses to do

**"Just start the report"** — that's the task, not a step.

**A first step that hides more decisions.**

**Still-too-big steps** that don't dissolve the resistance.

**A guilt-laden "you must finish"** framing that raises the barrier.

Install

npx pm-claude-skills add --agent claude   # or codex · cursor · gemini · hermes
# or one-line MCP (every skill, any client):
claude mcp add pm-skills -- npx -y pm-claude-skills-mcp

Related skills

🔌 Embed this skill

Drop this on your blog, docs, or site — it renders a "Run this skill" card:

<div data-pm-skill="task-to-first-step"></div>
<script src="https://mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills/embed.js" async></script>

💬 Discussion

Task to First Step is one of 1078 open-source professional AI agent skills — all SkillSpec L3. Try them all in the browser · ⭐ Star on GitHub · Browse the full catalog