An old management adage is “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” All this refers to is that you take something large and complex, such as a project, and break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. By breaking it down into pieces, it is not as formidable and it is easier to accomplish.
I have done this successfully for years for business. I rarely have enough time in one setting to complete a project. However, by working on one section at a time, the project is done. In addition, it is completed more quickly than if I waited until I had enough time to do it at once.
Another example of this is education. Few adults have the luxury of going back to school full time. I did not. However, by taking one class a semester, in a few years I completed my MBA. Had I waited until I could devote full time to it, I would still be waiting!
I have recently discovered that this philosophy works just as well for personal projects. (Sometimes it takes me awhile!) For example, I have wanted to clean out and rearrange the kitchen cupboards and pantry for a couple of years. Finally, I just started doing one cupboard or shelf as I had 15-20 minutes. This usually occurred while cooking dinner. In a few weeks, I have more accomplished than in the past two years!
This is just one of many examples of how strategies that help us meet our goals in one area of our lives can be used to achieve success in other areas of our lives.
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