By: Sarah Rapisardo, LPC
Do you ever dream of reaching your goals, feeling ready to tackle a new project, getting excited about what the future holds…. and then you just feel stuck because getting there seems so daunting? Sometimes taking on a new task can feel so overwhelming that we just want to take a nap and put those big dreams up on the shelf for a later time. Instead of letting those big dreams gather dust up on that shelf, it’s helpful to get organized and break that daunting task into smaller, more manageable tasks. If you’ve ever felt stuck in this sense, remember to just do the next small thing.
Just doing the next thing might sound over-simplified, but it works. Satya Nani once said, “a little progress each day adds up to big results” and this is the concept we’re going for here. The first step is to break that daunting task down to a series of small, very doable tasks that can be checked off one at a time until you’ve reached your goal. Here’s how to do that.
First, look at the big picture. This is where we dream big and imagine what the result looks like and what we want to achieve. Maybe the big picture goal is saving up for a big vacation, running a 5k, decluttering or cleaning your home, starting a new routine, or even just getting those pesky pile of dishes done that seem to overflow. No matter what the goal is, visualize what your end game looks like.
Now that we’ve got an idea of what we want to accomplish, let’s create a list of step-by-step milestones that need to be completed to get to the endgame. It will look a little different for each goal, but start by deconstructing it into a set of easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. Let’s take the daunting task of cleaning a messy home as an example. This can be broken down into many smaller tasks, such as putting away anything on the kitchen counter, wiping down the kitchen counter, picking up items on the living room floor, sweeping the living room floor, putting away the laundry that’s been sitting the basket. We can break even that last task down deeper- folding towels, finding sock matches, hanging shirts in the closet, and so on. Make sure your list is broken down as much as possible into each small task, putting them in logical order if we must do them in a sequence.
Now that you have a series of smaller, more easily achievable tasks, give yourself a timeline and set aside small chunks of time as needed to complete items on your list. If you only have 20 minutes of free time before you leave the house- you probably won’t be able to get in a long workout or clean the entire house, but you can probably fit in a short walk or pick items off the floors and counter spaces. Use your time wisely to get these tasks done and make small progress. When you check off these smaller items on your list more frequently, it will give you the dopamine release connected to pleasure and motivation, increasing your chances of checking off more tasks. Each time you do this, you are one step closer to reaching the end of that task that originally felt impossible to reach, and eventually, step by step, you will get there.
In conclusion: when you’re feeling overwhelmed, just do the next small thing. That will lead to the next small thing, and then the next. Remember, “A little progress each day adds up to big results.”