Eating "Elephants"

When I began 2019 I knew I would have a very full plate ahead of me.  In fact, forget the plate, we're talking a platter here.  It was a very full platter and to look at it on the whole was not only daunting but extremely overwhelming, not to mention it had the propensity to get out of hand quickly.  Spiraling out of control was not an option.  We had to stay the course.  Without a doubt 2019 has been my "Elephant" to eat.  The best way to approach this was one bite at a time.

Whenever I'm faced with an overwhelming task I remind myself "one bite at a time".  No matter what it is.  That is why all of my home improvement projects are "small".  Lots of smaller projects that when I add together make up the whole.  By managing these projects in smaller pieces I am much less overwhelmed and far more productive.

I begin all projects with a plan.  No matter how large or small, even if it is cleaning out the junk drawer, I plan it first.  Most thinks are quick run through in my head.  Larger projects start in my head, but I have to put it down on paper.  I'm older, my processor is slower, my hard drive is smaller and it's getting full.  That's how I related it to the millenials in my life, ha, ha.  I use a pencil and I draft a list.  I figure it out in the order of the steps I need to complete the project and I tweak it.  If I need supplies I add on a shopping list.  I figure out what I have to spend and I figure out where I will spend it.  Then I tweak it again to make it all work within the timeframe and budget I have to work with.  Then I get started.

I begin with step one and I mark it off the list once that step is completed.  Then move on to the next one.  I take breaks.  Running yourself ragged does not help you be more productive, it just makes you tired.  Taking a break, resting, drinking plenty of water and fueling yourself with good nutritional food will keep you going.

Not everything needs to be done in a day.  Sometimes I don't really have time to work on something, but I do find I can always throw fifteen minutes at something and it is amazing how much I can do in just fifteen minutes.  I can spackle all the holes in the walls or clean up a mess, take out the trash, organize a pile of crap, clean my kitchen, throw dinner in the crockpot, you get the idea.

My lists keep me motivated.  Especially when I get to tick off an item or two.  Watching the steps getting completed and then seeing the final results spurns me on to keep going.  If I falter I find that I can quickly get inspired by watching a few videos on Youtube or reading someone's blog article on a similar task that I'm working on.  There are loads of us out there all trying to accomplish the same things.  Whether it is preparing for the holidays, making dinner, mowing the lawn, mending, quilting, whatever it is there is a video on Youtube about it.  Need to clean up a space?  Watch an episode of Hoarders.  I can't make it half way before I feel the urge to throw stuff away and then scrub something.

My kids hate chores and yard work just like any kid does.  So I challenge them to "give me a hand outside for thirty minutes and we're done".  In thirty minutes three people (now two) can accomplish a lot.  Things get done and no one feels like they had to spend all day doing chores.  Every once in a while we have bigger outdoor projects like pruning trees, but since they don't do chores "all the time" they are more willing to help out on the bigger ones when they come up.

For bigger projects I do plan and block out time to get things done.  I can't paint a room in fifteen minutes (I wish!) or revamp my garage so I do set aside larger blocks of time and plan ahead for those projects.  But in fifteen minutes I can caulk trim or spray paint doorknobs.  I can mow my lawn or clean the chicken coop.  I can fold and put away a load of laundry or clean my kitchen.  I can meal plan or make a grocery list.  I can do some financial planning or pay bills.  I can purge my closet or declutter the paper pile on my desk.

Plan your project, get inspired and then get started.  You can accomplish more than you think you can.  Fifteen minutes can make a world of difference.  A little bit at a time adds up, it doesn't always have to be an all day or all weekend thing.  One bite at a time and eventually the "Elephant" is gone.