Welcome to Goal Setting Fridays!
Why Friday?
So you can ruminate over the weekend & get a fresh start on Monday!
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Last week, we revealed
The Secret Code of Procrastination
Winter has hit hard here in Niagara.
We’ve had a lot of snow. And I mean - A LOT!!!
I’m including my new favourite photo for your amusement! That’s me on the first day of our first storm. Gerald took this from our front porch. I’m standing on the sidewalk.
On that one day, we had somewhere between 50-60 cm overnight! Forget waking up to a gentle blanket of snow - we were smothered under a full-on double duvet!
We had to shovel through drifts just to get off the front porch. We live in a downtown area with tall, Edwardian houses and small front lawns. It took a full 10 minutes just to get to the end of our front walk. I made my way to the driveway, where I could finally see the full impact of the blizzard. The entire SUV was missing under a mountain of white stuff. There were several feet piled up in every direction. And the space from the car to road was well above my knees.
I felt overwhelmed. My mighty shovel suddenly felt like a teaspoon in my mittened hands.
More snow was in the forecast. If we didn’t clear this out today, it was only going to get worse.
I suddenly thought,
“Just eat the elephant.”
“Eat the Elephant” has become one of my favourite mottos ever. It’s especially fun to mention at parties if you want to get barraged with “What’d she say?” looks.
Often attributed to Desmond Tutu, the original phrase says this:
“There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”
So often, we are faced with hugely overwhelming tasks. They can seem insurmountable. But, if we just keep nibbling away at it, eventually, the job will get done.
My snow drifts definitely felt elephant-sized! There was only one way to clear them.
I started to dig in, one shovelful at a time. I took deep breaths into my back, stopping often to stretch. Neighbours helped neighbours, clearing walkways and sharing laughs. I took photos of the covered cars and sugar-coated tree branches.
Several hours later, thanks to lots of little bites, our patch of property was relatively snow-free.
At least, for a while…
It’s the same when we have any kind of large, overwhelming goal.
The key to accomplishing our huge, Longterm Goals is to take them one bite at the time.
This is where our Habit Goals and Single Moment Goals come in.
- Want to write a book? Write one page a day.
- Want to sing an opera? Start learning the first line.
- Want to read the Bible? Read a few verses each day.
- Want to declutter your house? Empty one drawer.
Over time, these tiny “bites” add up!
It may feel small in the moment, but remember:
Any progress is progress!
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