A task is a piece of work or a job that needs to be done, often as part of a larger project. It can be simple or complex, and it usually has a clear end point.
It comes from Old North French 'tasque', from Medieval Latin 'tasca' or 'taxa' meaning 'tax or duty', from Latin 'taxare' meaning 'to assess or charge'. It shifted from the idea of a duty you owe to the work you have to do.
The word 'task' is built from the same root as 'tax', which hints at how work can feel like something imposed on you. Breaking big goals into small tasks is basically turning a mountain into a staircase you can actually climb.
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