A major reason for procrastinating on big, important tasks is that they appear so large and formidable when you first approach them. One technique that you can use to cut a big task down to size is to simply lay out the task in detail and then resolve to do just one slice of the job at a time.
Psychologically, you will find it easier to do a single, small piece of a large project than to start on the whole job. Often, once you have started and completed a single part of the job, you will feel like doing just one more “slice.” Soon, you will find yourself working through the job one part at a time, and before you know it, the job will be completed.
Once you start working, you develop a sense of forward momentum and a feeling of accomplishment. You become energized and excited. You feel yourself internally motivated and propelled to keep going until the task is complete.
Why not put this theory to the test today? First, select one big important task and lay it out in front of you. Then, select one part of the task and do it immediately. Finish that, and move on to the next part of the task. Don’t envision the entire task in front of you—only the smaller slice of the task that you need to focus on. Soon, completed “slices” will pile up and you’ll have finished that big, important task before you know it!
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