How To Eat An Elephant

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By Hope Wilbanks

Are you struggling to figure out how to make it through to the end of a project? Do you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities and don’t know what to do about it? Feeling anxious about things you have to do will not make your tasks any easier to accomplish. If it seems like those tasks are too huge to tackle, these tips will help you. Here’s how to eat an elephant:

" It is necessary to work, if not from inclination, at least from despair.  Everything considered, work is less boring than amusing oneself." -Charles Baudelaire
" It is necessary to work, if not from inclination, at least from despair. Everything considered, work is less boring than amusing oneself." -Charles Baudelaire

1) Break it down.

Quite often, the single thing that makes anything seem so overpowering is that you are looking at the big picture. You see the end result, but can’t picture the process it will take to get there. When you break it down into a step-by-step process, you will feel a lot more confident that each task is achievable.

2) Decide where to begin.

The next hindrance for many is not knowing where to start. After you break down the big picture into manageable tasks, the next step you need to take is deciding where to begin. Prioritizing that task list is a good way to figure out what is most important to you. Also, keep in mind that some tasks will naturally need to be completed before others.

3) Plan thoroughly.

Smart planning is as essential as having your task list. Now is the time to think ahead. What will you do in the event of an emergency? How will you compensate if you need to spend time away from the project? Who can you turn to for sage advice or help? Thinking about all these things now will help you build a more well-rounded plan.

4) Tackle one thing at a time.

When you are ready to begin, remember that the best advice has always been to do one thing at a time. The best cure for not becoming overwhelmed is to simply start at the bottom and work your way up. Nobody is able to successfully tackle a large project and complete it overnight. Set realistic expectations for yourself.

Comments

prsarkar profile image

prsarkar 17 months ago

In the last seminar i have attended -- heard lot about how to eat an Elephant.

Looking for the solution -- I found it in your article. nice.

Tauseef 2 years ago

I know about it and it holds true when you've a good amount of time, inversely, doesn't help when time is short to achieve something big.

Lgali profile image

Lgali 3 years ago

good message

Tackle one thing at a time.

Hope Wilbanks profile image

Hope Wilbanks Hub Author 3 years ago

I think you meant "Hope"? :) Thanks Dan! :)

Dan Varella profile image

Dan Varella 3 years ago

Michele-

Thanks for the clear step by step process. Great Hub-

Dan

Hope Wilbanks profile image

Hope Wilbanks Hub Author 3 years ago

Thanks Michele! :)

Michele 3 years ago

What an awesome way to "eat an elephant"! I love it! You're so clever. ;-)

I gave this a thumbs up and a stumble.

*smiles*

Michele

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