Take Small Bites
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Chunking Down Goals with Katie Kacvinsky (The Secondhand Inspiration Project)
The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.
“You need to be content with small steps. That’s all life is. Small steps that you take every day so when you look back down the road it all adds up and you know you covered some distance. It took me a long time to accept that, but it’s true. You need to have patience.”
― Katie Kacvinsky
The first few months of a new year is the season of big goals. And with those lofty expectations undoubtedly comes ample chances for procrastination. “Chunking” down goals is a strategy I’ve used to dead procrastination in my life, especially with larger projects.
Achievers often bite off way more than they can chew. Procrastination is when you look at what’s sitting on your plate and think: No way! It’s too just big. I can’t finish it.
I said plate figuratively, but let’s think about our goals as if they’re meals. Whenever you have too much to swallow, do what you’d do if you had ordered a large meal at a restaurant. Cut it up. Dice it into smaller portions. Eat it one small appetizing bite, one manageable portion at a time. If needed, take some home to finish later — you don’t have to down the whole meal in one sitting, despite peer pressure from others. But break that meal down into pieces you can handle.
Like that meal, take intimidating goals and slice them into smaller chunks. If you look at those portions and they still seem overwhelming, cut them into even smaller chunks. Keep going until you get to a bite-sized morsel where you think, “Yes, I can finish that.” Then just eat it one chunk at a time. And keep going until you’ve finished the whole thing.
When you have a project that seems too big and you’re tempted to procrastinate, break it down. Then attack it one bite at a time. Savor each piece and appreciate that satisfying portion of the larger meal (goal). Swallow and progress to the next chunk.
Adrian S. Potter is an author, engineer, consultant, and public speaker. He writes poetry, short fiction, and articles on a variety of subjects including creativity and personal growth. He is the author of the poetry collection Everything Wrong Feels Right and the prose chapbook The Alter Ego Handbook. Visit him online at http://adrianspotter.com/.
