How Do You Eat An Elephant?

A big task list is one of the most dangerous things we can heap onto ourselves, and it can cause the most harm to our peace of mind. When we stop to think of the many things that we have to do today, it can feel insurmountable and become a daunting weight that presses into our chest, with no way to lift the growing boulder. How do we save ourselves? The same way we'd eat an elephant.

Okay, don't lose me here. I think back to my college math classes, when one of my favorite professors would help us solve huge equations. He'd always say "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" He meant that to achieve success, you had to break your long journey into single steps. That always stuck with me. Thanks, Mr. Malena.

When the world starts to pile up tasks on us, we have to look for small victories. Some days, achieving that one thing will kick-start you into getting twenty more things done. Other times, that one thing is all you will do that day. And that's OKAY, because you're now one task closer to being done, and you've started your journey.

Human nature dictates that we're likely to have things pile up on us from time to time, and we're all likely to get angry and wallow in self-pity. That's fine for a moment, but then we must chunk down our lists and start to slowly chip away. I myself am writing this right now because I'm having a busy day that needs to be processed with thought and care. Otherwise you will overreact, and spiral into a harmful pit of stress and a viscous cycle of depression.

One task at a time. One day at a time. Breathe. Rest. Vent. Process however you need to, and then start gaining small victories. That's how you achieve your dream life. Eat your elephant, one bite at a time.