So much to do, so little time. How do you solve this common dilemma we all face?
OTAAT.
One thing at a time. One thing at a time.
But here’s where some confusion arises. Which thing to do?
Some experts say do the little things first to get you moving and to get the ball rolling.
Others say do the biggest task that gives you the biggest return first to get the best bang for your time and effort.
Who’s right? Who’s wrong?
Well, they’re both right in a sense.
We should do the big task. How?
By breaking that big task down into little pieces FIRST.
Most people understand the logic of getting the big task done first and what I mean by a big task is the one that will give you your biggest return. They attempt to tackle this big task, but because it’s so big, they hesitate, procrastinate, and never get it done.
You should get the big task done, and the way to get that big task done is to break it into smaller ones FIRST. Very small ones. This part is what’s most commonly left out in the big picture.
If you attempt to do the small things first, and what I mean by small things are the easy but unimportant things, it will work against you by taking you off tangents which can result in more time being wasted.
Identify The Big Task
If you’ve been making daily to-do lists to get moving toward your goal, there will ALWAYS be one task among them that you know should always get done that day. You know exactly which one I’m talking about. The one you know you should do, but can’t seem to. Designing the plan, writing that chapter of your book, organizing the finances, etc.
Break It Down Into Small, Simple Tasks
Take that big task and break it down into really, really simple tasks. When I don’t feel like doing a big task, I always ask myself if I have broken it down and more often than not, I haven’t and even if I did, I didn’t break it down far enough. List all the steps that are necessary to complete that task and make sure you know exactly what you need to do with each step when presented with it. You’ve heard it before. You eat an elephant, one bite at a time.
People advocate doing small things first to generate momentum and I agree with that concept because it works. You do gain momentum when you do the easy things and see them being checked off on your list so all you have to do is just integrate that logic with identifying the big task and you get to harmonize the two trains of thought.
Concentrate On Each Simple Task
When it’s broken down into small, simple parts, it gets pretty easy to execute. When you have your undivided attention on one simple task at a time, you give it the attention it deserves and you do it with quality so that each task builds successfully on top of one another. Imagine if you laid each brick down carefully while building a wall. The wall in turn becomes a solid masterpiece. If each brick was laid down without as much care, the brick wall would have some gaping holes, be a bit lopsided, and not as aesthetically pleasing as it should be.
Imagine there’s a conveyor belt that’s been loaded with simple tasks coming toward you, one at a time. Because it’s coming at you one at a time, your focus is laser like on each task until it’s finished. When it’s done with care, the conveyor belt moves forward and hands you the next task and you repeat the same process.
All you have to do is prepare the conveyor belt beforehand. You do that by breaking down the tasks so that you know exactly what you need to do with them when it comes in front of you on the conveyor belt. Everything happens with one simple step taken carefully at a time.
Follow Through On Each Task
Concentrate and follow through on the individual tasks. Complete the set when you exercise, finish free writing the introduction of your book, fully brainstorm the idea, etc. before moving on to the next task. Remember, when you follow through, the rest of the big task becomes easier. There’s no more going back and forth. Get it done right the first time so you don’t waste time looking or going back to it.
Most people waste a ton of time because they don’t know exactly what they need to do and even if they do, the task is so big that they don’t want to tackle it. Spend less time wondering what to do by taking the big task that has the highest priority and break it down into really simple tasks so you know exactly what to do when you see them. When you tackle each simple task, follow through on them with quality, you don’t have to waste time going back.
If you follow this method, you’ll find things become less stressful, easily manageable, and very rewarding as you see how productive you were that day. Then rinse and repeat for all your items on your to-do list in order of priority.
There is extreme power in doing one thing at a time. We feel more in control of our situation, the single task has our fullest attention, and we get a ton of work done as well.
I usually have my to-do list written on a chalkboard with the biggest task being broken down into smaller, easier ones and on top of that, I have this quote written by Thomas Carlyle – “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
To do with quality, what simple task lies clearly at hand.
