Getting It Done Part 6

The Incremental Approach

One great way to get yourself going is to start with small actions, realize and appreciate their value, and then gradually add to them. Many things that you must do can seem overwhelming before you start to do them. Often it is helpful to approach them gradually and incrementally. The prospect of building a fence around your entire property may seem overwhelming. So start with a single fence post. That’s not so much. When that one is finished, move on to the next one.

There is often a wide gulf in the mind between “I need to do that” and “I can do that!” The incremental approach requires that you find an initial “I can do that!” activity — something you know without a doubt that you can do. Most large efforts can be subdivided into smaller, more manageable efforts.

As you succeed at each of the smaller efforts, a couple of very positive things happen. First, your confidence grows and as a result you find yourself more likely to bite off bigger and bigger chunks. Your competence grows as well, and makes you more effective. Starting small, with something you can easily imagine yourself doing, puts you on an upward spiral toward success. Not only will your confidence and competence grow, so will your enthusiasm and commitment. As you see and appreciate the positive impact of each effort, you’ll be more and more motivated to take on additional, more challenging efforts.

The fact is, for everything that needs to be done, there is something which you can do right now. Even the most ambitious project can begin with a small, minimally challenging effort. It is great to have high expectations. Just remember that you must connect those expectations to reality. That’s not to say that the expectations must be diminished, just that you must find a realistic and attainable starting point that will move you in the direction of those expectations.
<:))))><<