Biting of the Elephant

The other day two of my gal-pals were talking about a huge test they were studying for in their nursing degrees. As they combed through each section of intense lessons, their foreheads wrinkled in concern.  Then one of them brightens up in a smile saying, “Well, all we have to do is eat one bite of the elephant at a time!” 

My first thought was “Ew…” followed by “poor elephant.” Getting over the literal shock of this popular quote, I immediately could empathize with this perspective.

Often times, we as women take on enormous tasks and struggle daily to complete them, if we complete them at all. Whether it’s out of our control, or something we just cannot say “no” to, there is always a goal or a project that is so much bigger than we originally expected. Maybe it is the huge project from school/work, or those stacks of boxes in your garage you haven’t unpacked. Maybe it’s Christmas shopping for 37 relatives you only see once a year. We all have our elephants.

So how do we accomplish these goals and finish that project?

Ask for help. Help with the project? Sure! Help with your daily mundane tasks so you can focus on this project? ABSOLUTELY.  Don’t be ashamed because asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re WISE.

Google Image

Don’t lose interest. If you find yourself getting TOO distracted while working on something, take a break and come back to it. A refreshed mind produces fresh ideas! 

Find “stopping points” during the project/goal. Then take the time to reward yourself. I find chocolate is very rewarding AND motivating.

Get some accountability. Sometimes just telling your friends or your siblings about the ideas you have to finish something can give you the oomph you need. That way, when they ask you next month how everything is going, you’ll have to give them a progress report!

The phrase “biting off more than you can chew” comes to mind when I think of this elephant concept.  Remember to keep your bites small, finish each bite and look forward to the satisfaction of a clean plate!