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"From little things big things grow." It's a great song, but also a key principle for getting the results you want in life.
The idea
Before Christmas Karen and I were busily brainstorming what to get our 4 young children for Christmas. We focus on things that engage their creativity or get them outdoors taking a few risks. So I suggested to Karen that a 30m flying fox was the perfect thing for the backyard – to my surprise, she agreed.
Having passed the first hurdle, I started thinking of ways to increase the adrenalin factor. The answer was obvious – a 2m high platform from which to launch at speed!
Great ideas need action
That was before Christmas, and 3 weeks later my children were still asking when I was going to put the flying fox up. My problem was not enthusiasm – I wanted to have a ride just as much as they did. My problem was that I was slightly overwhelmed with the size of the project – where to start? I drew up a plan and settled on the design, but there was a lot to do. And so with no beginning point, not much was happening.
It was then that I thought of one of the immortal lines from "The Castle":
"Look Dad, I dug a hole!"
I needed holes (6 of them), and I had a shovel, so I started to dig knowing that the next step would reveal itself soon enough. The rest, as they say in the classics, is history. One week later, the kids and their friends are launching themselves off the 2m platform backwards with their eyes closed! (You'll find a photo of the platform on my blog – link below.)
How do you eat an elephant?
That's the problem with big ideas – often they do not take off because the implementation of the idea looks too big and too hard. That's when we feel overwhelmed and lose our sense of power. It's hard to take quality (or any) action when you experience that internal state.
The answer is to this problem is 'chunking' – that is, thinking about the project in manageable steps (chunks).
For example, if you think about the sheerity of the problem of global warming or world poverty or achieving next years budget or helping your children lead prosperous lives or (insert whatever works for you here), then guess what ?! Chances are that you will feel stressed, anxious and find it difficult to take that first step.
The irony is that the first step is often the hardest one.
Think big, with small steps
If you want better results, quicker and with less stress, then after you have done your brainstorming and 'big thinking', do some 'small thinking'. Break the implementation of the project down into bite size chunks (baby spoonfuls if you want to) and start ticking them off, one by one.
Each time you complete a task, step back and admire your handy work. You might even like to celebrate a few of your victories. That's what great leaders do – they make the journey seem easy by taking small steps and then celebrating every success.
Success breeds success
When you tackle big tasks this way, the experience can become supremely rewarding and fulfilling. Rather than being a slog through the trenches, the process can be a series of great victories, each adding to your confidence and enthusiasm for the next challenge. You might even come up with some better ideas to increase the value you provide (I had so much fun building my platform, I've decided to add a rock-climbing wall).
So, when you next feel overwhelmed by that huge project or issue in your life, start by digging a hole! Before you know it, you too could be 2m off the ground heading for another tree at breakneck speed.
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Source by Andrew Christopher Hughes
