In my 20s and 30s, I would jump right into a problem or project head first. I would go all in all the time, not even thinking about the what and why. Instead, it was more; let's get this done.
I found this to become an all-or-nothing process. If and when things got tough, I would start to falter. If it appeared I wouldn't be able to accomplish all that I thought I should be able to in the given time I thought was appropriate; I would begin to second guess myself. Furthermore, as time went on, I would procrastinate on large projects or, worse yet, self-sabotage because I didn't think I could get everything done, so why even start?
I became increasingly frustrated and anxious, even about the little things in life. The more life responsibilities grew (kids, marriage, work, etc.), the worse it got. I found myself in a vicious cycle of being overworked, anxious, and feeling like I could not accomplish anything. Most days, I would go to bed feeling helpless and hopeless, which led to guilt and despair and tossing and turning in bed rather than the good night's sleep I needed.
Something had to change. One day I was venting to a good friend about life and a somewhat mundane project that I was putting off because I knew it would take longer than I wanted it to and longer than I had time to devote to get it done that day. She asked me a simple question, "why does it need to get all done today?"
I was taken aback by the question. Why wouldn't I want to finish it all in a day? But then again, it was a self-imposed deadline. Sure there are many times when there is an actual deadline. You must pick your kids up from school at such and such time. You have to complete the report for work by your boss' deadline. But many things in life don't have a black-and-white deadline. There isn't a start and stop date. But if you never start, then well, you'll never succeed.
That is when the lightbulb went off. I told myself you just need to start. Pick a task in the project and just start. Don't think about the 20 other steps it will take. Start step one. Check that step off the list and start step two. When you run out of time for today, re-access, regroup and see what you have left to do for the next day.
Yep, that's how work small ❤ win big was born. Sounded simple in my head at the time. And in reality, it is, but getting my brain to wrap around the concept was a tad bit harder. My need to get everything done side (I was also a card-carrying member of the clean your plate club-more on that later); didn't like the idea of things left on the to-do list of life. But in time, I realized that if I broke things down ahead of time and made multiple small lists, I tricked my brain into thinking that I was finishing a "project," and in essence, I was. 1+1+1+1=4 is the same as (1+1) + (1+1)= 4, just a different way of looking at and completing the same project.
So this is work small ❤ win big in a nutshell:
Identify a problem or project you need to fix or accomplish.
Break the larger problem/project into manageable pieces.
Identify the most accessible place to start if you can.
Just start with one small task and check it off the list.
When one task is completed, move on to the next, the next, and so on.
Make sure to celebrate your small accomplishments along the way; they are a big deal in your success as a whole.
If you come across a stumbling block, don't panic. It's ok to re-access and change or adjusts plans. Sometimes you will find you will even need to break things into smaller pieces as you get further along.
It's ok to ask for help. We can't do everything alone. Sometimes just another set of eyes on your plan is all you need to figure out a better way.
Keep checking off task. Keep celebrating goals. Finish strong. You got this!!
Work small ❤ win big has become a lifestyle for me. It is a part of my daily life, from getting the laundry done to how I will do my first quarter marketing for my travel agency. It has taken time to adapt and adjust, but I am much better at it. The ability to break projects into smaller tasks and celebrate the wins along the way was liberating and the key to my happiness, and hopefully yours as well! As they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day." You can't expect to change overnight, but with the one small step of saying, "I start to work small ❤ win big now," you're on your way!
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