Kimberly Frey Consulting

I am currently training for the Chicago marathon (which you can read more about here), and have hit the part of the training schedule where my training runs hit double digits on a weekly basis. So it’s not surprising that I’m spending a lot of time thinking about how to tackle large, difficult tasks. Or as Desmond Tutu put it – eating an elephant.

Now don’t worry – I am NOT talking about eating the majestic creatures that are endangered in many parts of the world. I am; however, talking about those tasks or projects that are so large they might seem a little overwhelming – elephants, per se. So what is the best way to accomplish them? Break them down into smaller pieces. Here are some tips to help you do just that:

1. Review the overall project or task. Understand the parameters and estimate how much time the overall project will take. Be sure to know when the final deadline is along with any additional deadlines there might be for various parts of the project. Lastly, try to determine where natural breaks occur as you decide how to break it up into smaller chunks.
2. Once you have reviewed the project and decided how you will break it down, determine which parts of the task are easier and which are harder. Easier could mean that they are less time consuming or it could also mean that they are less demanding or complex.
3. Schedule the easier parts of the task to tackle first. While that might be the opposite of the advice you often hear regarding, “get the hardest tasks out of the way first,” accomplishing the smaller, easier parts of a task first gives you that sense of achievement that will motivate you to be able to then focus on the harder parts of the task. The dopamine boost that you get from the achievement gives you the “feel good” motivation to move on to the harder parts of the task.
4. As you complete each part of the task, reward yourself in some small way. Whether it’s taking a coffee break, eating some Dove dark chocolate (one of my favorite “you did it” treats!), soaking up some sunshine, or watching a funny reel or TikTok, take a few minutes to shift away from the task.
   • Pro Tips for Taking a Break: keep the break to no more than 10 minutes so that it doesn’t detract from your productivity, set a timer for your break so that you don’t lose track of time (10 minutes goes by fast!), and make a note for yourself on where you left off and what you are doing next to make it easier to return to the task.
5. Try to schedule the most difficult parts of the task at the time of day that is best for you. While this is not always possible due to deadlines, work schedules, and a variety of other reasons, doing it when possible will help you be more productive and focused.

One of my favorite sayings is from Eric Tiver who shared, “We can do hard things, but we don’t need to do them in the hardest way possible.” Hopefully these tips will help you accomplish the hard things that come up in your life, both personally and professionally. If this post resonates with you, but you feel that you still need some support or have additional questions, please connect with me here for a free “coffee chat” consultation. I support my coaching clients with completing their large, difficult tasks by helping them break the tasks down into smaller, more manageable parts, keeping track of upcoming deadlines and progress being made, and being a project manager, accountability partner, and cheerleader wrapped up all in one.

You Can Do It. I Can Help.

“We can do hard things, but we don’t need to do them in the hardest way possible.” ~Eric Tiver