Little by Little
I don’t have to attempt to complete the whole task in one sitting or session.
I use a simple trick to help me get things done and make things more manageable for me to handle: I tend to do things little by little, especially when it comes to large, complex, or boring tasks. I personally have a hard time wrapping my head around large tasks that may take hours to complete or that suck the life out of me. I often get demotivated just thinking about accomplishing them. I likely suffer from some form of analysis paralysis. I get bogged down just thinking about the amount of work needed to get something done. When something is too big to accomplish, I get anxious and I may not feel like even starting the task or project in the first place. That's how I end up procrastinating.
I've discovered that it helps if I can break down the task into several pieces and give myself permission to accomplish it little by little over a period of time. I don’t have to attempt to complete the whole task in one sitting or session.
Here are some places where I apply this strategy. Some of these may seem silly, but the point is that I'm practicing the idea of doing something little by little rather than forcing myself to do it all in one go.
Tending the lawn. I've got a front lawn and a back lawn that requires a lot of regular maintenance. I don't try to do it all in one day. It'll take hours to mow the grass, trim the hedges, prune the trees and bushes, and work on the weeds. I dread the task just thinking about it. Instead of doing it all in one afternoon, I just decide to do a little bit every day. On one day, I'll just mow the front lawn. The next day, I'll mow the back lawn. On another day, I'll trim the hedges. It makes this large task more manageable for me in the end.
Folding laundry. It might sound silly, but I fold laundry a little at a time (especially if it's a large amount). It could take me a few days to finish folding a basket of laundry. It's not a task that I particularly enjoy. So, it helps if I can do it a little at a time rather than forcing myself to do it all in one sitting.
Cleaning the bathroom. It's a chore I really dislike. But it's my responsibility to do it. I'll clean one area of the bathroom and then take a break. Then I'll clean another portion and then take a break again. This makes it manageable for me to get something done that I inherently dislike doing.
Writing a book. I'm working on a book project right now. This requires a massive amount of effort. Doing it all in one sitting is impossible and impractical. I simply decide to write a few paragraphs each day until I hopefully end up with something that can be published.
Preparing for a talk. Preparing for talks takes a bit of work. I like to work on one over the course of several weeks rather than cramming it in the week before. I'll work on a talk a little bit each day. For example, I might work on just the introduction today. Tomorrow, I might work on the first major point.
With this strategy, I'm employing that old proverb with unknown origins: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." If I may add, it's OK to eat the elephant over the course of several days.
If you're going to do things little by little, you have to be comfortable with leaving things unfinished. I may have mowed the lawn in the front yard but the backyard remains untended. I shouldn't be frustrated that it hasn’t been completed yet. In fact, I can practice being content in the moment with whatever I've accomplished. God-willing, I will have the opportunity to get around to finishing the task or project in the next few days anyway.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
