You’ve probably heard of the question, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is, “One bite at a time.”
It’s good advice but I think it is out of date. The origin of the proverb is not known but my guess is that it did not emerge out of today’s complex, ever changing world.
The problem is that while you’re trying to eat the elephant, someone else is feeding it.
Yes, I know my scenario just got a little gross (trying to eat an animal while he’s being fed) but I think you get the idea. Nowadays, we rarely have the time to just focus on one big project. There are lots of distractions and the elephant does not get eaten. He grows larger.
To Clear the Path to boosting your productivity and savoring the last “bite” of a big project, follow these tips:
Not Now: People like it a lot more when you say, “yes,” but they don’t have your workload. Perhaps a, “No,” is too strong or not possible. Saying, “Not now,” can help protect your time. This also opens the door to someone helping you so that you can then move on to their task. That doesn’t happen if you say, “Yes,” to everything.
Get More Time: Important tasks have a habit of taking longer than you expect. Find 10 to 15% more time that you can spend on the project.
The key is to think of this time as a last minute reserve or like a well aged wine you’re saving for a special occasion. It is there if you need it and should not be thought of as being part of the regular time you have to get the job done.
Disappear: Don’t feel bad if you need to make yourself unavailable. Your job is not to operate a hotline for other people’s needs. It’s okay to put your needs first.
Is It You? Are you not getting certain things done because you don’t like them and prefer to keep yourself busy with little tasks that are easy to do but fill up a lot of your time? It’s possible to be busy all day and get nothing done. Don’t just eat a meal of desserts.
Bottom Line: Big, important tasks are part of the workplace and they aren’t going away. But you can change how you approach them and have the confidence that you will finish your elephant and have room for seconds.
