Notion Template

First Step

For students who know exactly what's due and still can't start.

Coursework — Next move Write the essay 🌱Write a first step — make it embarrassingly small
$12 Get it on Gumroad

This is the entire product.

Every task in First Step carries a First step field. The Next move column shows that, instead of the task name.

Before 🌱 Write a first step — make it embarrassingly small
After ▶️ open the PDF and read one page

Not a mockup.

The actual dashboard — Right now, Brain dump, and everything still open, on one screen.

First Step dashboard in Notion showing the Right now list, Next move column, and Brain dump capture panel

"Started" is tracked as its own stage, one click from the dashboard. Credit for crossing the starting line, not just for finishing.

A task row showing an In Progress status badge

Nothing in here ever turns red. Past-due work reads "Still open" — a late assignment doesn't need a reminder that you're behind, it needs a next step.

A task row reading Still open, 5 days ago, with a neutral grey Not Started badge

Three-second capture, zero required fields. Type the name into Brain dump and move on — sort it later, one click.

A Brain dump panel with quick-captured items, no dates or fields filled in

There's more underneath.

A page for every course, and ten views built for different moods — not just one clever field.

A course page in Notion showing assignments, code, instructor, and linked notes
Ten view tabs: Pick one thing, Everything, Due next, Pair light plus heavy, By course, Pipeline, Brain dump, and three more

Pick one thing, Got 15 minutes, Pair light + heavy, Pipeline, and six more — sliced by mood, not just by date.

What's inside

What I left out on purpose

No streaks. No daily checkboxes. Nothing that punishes a gap.

No grade calculator — it's a starting tool, not a GPA spreadsheet, and every field like that is one more thing you'd have to keep updated.

No widgets tied to some third party's account that could vanish and break your whole dashboard for no reason.

No automations to configure. Everything in here runs off fields you were already filling in.

Before you ask

No. Everything works on the free plan. There are no automations and nothing to connect.
About ten minutes: add your courses, then work through your syllabi once. You do not need to write first steps for everything — three is enough to start.
Nothing breaks. There are no streaks to lose and no rollover to run. Open Pick one thing, pick one line, do the first step.
Yes — rename any field. Brain load, First step, Next move are just labels; use whatever your brain answers to.
It was designed around task initiation, which is an ADHD-specific bottleneck. But nothing in it is diagnostic or exclusive — if you're a chronic procrastinator, it's built for the same moment.
Yes — free updates to this template, whenever they ship.
$12 Get it on Gumroad

Works on the free Notion plan. Duplicate it and it works.