How Do You Eat An Elephant?

One bite at a time!

Old joke. But in it, is a simple, yet timeless nugget of wisdom.

When we set goals, they shouldn't be too small that they fail to challenge us. But sometimes, a goal worthy of our time and efforts may be so big, that it overwhelms us. It could be so daunting that just leaves us staring and wondering how we can do it.

What's the secret in mastering this?

The answer is so shockingly simple, that if we're not careful, we just might underestimate and dismiss it.

Break down that big goal into small, manageable, "bite-sized" steps!

I have a brother who noticed one day, some joggers doing their daily running exercises near the house. Joey thought, "I'm going to do that!" So donning some jogging clothes, he began to run.

Well, attempted to run was more like it. He found to his dismay that he couldn't go more than a few steps without gasping desperately for breath! He wasn't as fit as the other joggers who had been doing their runs for years now. What looked like an easy thing for them at that time seemed daunting to Joey.

Did he give up? Nah! He decided that if he couldn't do what they could do yet, then he was going to concentrate on what he could do at that moment and build from there.

Joey decided that he was going to walk casually around the mini-park, and at least finish one round for the day. He continued to do this until he could walk briskly while doing his rounds. After a few days, he started mixing brisk walking and light jogging.

He kept doing that for weeks until he could maintain a light, steady jogging pace. He did what he could, but continued to challenge himself in increasing his speed, his stamina, and the length of time he could run without breaking into a walk.

Before he knew it, a running club noticed him and invited him to become a member. Soon, he was running in local marathons and cross-country runs. He even had a stint in a Hongkong marathon.

No, you won't see his name with the top finishers. But for Joey, to be able to do what he did was accomplishment enough!

It took time to get there. And in getting there, he had to break his goal into mini-goals. But he got there.

And by applying this simple truth, we can accomplish just about any goal we set before us.

Enjoy your elephant!

Cheers!
primeprojects