September 14, 2020

It matters how you eat an elephant

Huge elephant

For as long as I can remember, I have known about the advice to ‘eat an elephant one bite at a time’ when dealing with a big task. I never knew what it really meant, until last week when I managed to complete a big project more easily than I had imagined it would be.

It makes sense, right? You start at the beginning with the first bite and keep going. And provided you keep going, you will ‘eat your elephant’.

My revelation was to focus ONLY on the current bite as a bite, not as part of an elephant.

Sure, take a step back occasionally and look at the bigger picture, but when doing a task, focus on doing the task in front of you.

Not the next task, but THIS one, in front of you NOW.

What elephant-sized projects are you working on right now?

Note: This tip was created without harming any elephants đŸ™‚

Here’s a thought… Life is a big project. Focus on today.

My best wishes, Paul

Paul Matthews

CEO and Founder of People Alchemy

share this article:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

related posts

L&D Disrupt podcast with Paul Matthews cover image

L&D’s biggest challenges: shifting from content overload to real behaviour change

Paul is back on the L&D Disrupt podcast: in this new episode host Nelson Sivalingam and Paul dig deep into ...
Read More
Man stepping over a white line. Walking across the start line representing business and life start up concept. Top view.

Take that step

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears. Clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from action.” ...
Read More
manager-vs-leader-symbol-businessman-arranged-wooden-cubes-on-the-table-to-form-the-words-manager-to-leader-business-concept

The myth of leadership versus management: Why the best managers do both 

Too often, leadership and management are treated as opposing forces. But what if the real value lies in knowing how ...
Read More
Woman doing thumbs up and holding post-it with Good work :-)

It’s really a confidence trick

Little else you say can change so much in the life of another as words of praise, compliments, or encouragement. ...
Read More

search blog

Get your free weekly tip

You agree that we can keep a record of your details, and send you other occasional offers. See our Privacy Policy