How Do You Eat An Elephant?

Have you ever had a task list so massive that you simply didn’t know where to start? The overwhelm paralyzes you from getting any of it done, and it can feel like you are trying to eat an elephant whole.

Mike Knapp discusses a simple and effective process for this challenge, and includes one executive’s success story in eating her elephant:

Step 1: Strategize Eating the Elephant

Begin by looking at your elephant sized task list and picking the most important and/or time sensitive tasks. Pick a manageable (not overwhelming) number of tasks that will have the biggest impact. Once you’ve isolated these, organize them by priority

Step 2: Take one bite at a time

Once you have your top tasks, it’s time to take your first bite. You’ll notice that breaking it down into more manageable chunks will reduce the overwhelm and ultimately make your to- do list far easier to tackle.

The joy of this strategy is in its simplicity and organization, and you will likely find yourself building momentum throughout the day as you complete tasks one by one by one. It’s possible to eat an elephant, but it takes more than one big bite.