Sweet elephant…

Q: How do you eat an elephant?

A: One bite at a time?

Okay, so I chose a cartoon elephant for my post image because, obviously, none of us are actually interested in eating elephants. I mean, come on–tough gray hide, yech.

But the whole idea, that even an enormous task is possible one small action at a time, is tremendously important to me. (I had never heard this saying until someone put it in my mailbox during final weeks the first semester of my freshman year in college. And man, did I ever need the perspective.)

The one bite at a time plan is the only way I get anything done, I think. I hold fast to the belief that the little that I can do right now actually matters to the giant task I’m trying to accomplish.

I’ve been reading a book a day since January in preparation for my PhD exams. But I break every single text down into at least 5 sections so that I can take it one “bite” at a time. It’s exciting to look back over the semester and see that I’m getting closer to the bones of my elephant. (Yesterday I think I bit off its tail!)

I’m also writing my third novel in 15 minutes a day. I’m hoping to take bigger and more frequent bites off my novel elephant once I finish my PhD exams, but I’m not waiting until then to do something about it.

What elephants are you waiting to face? Would you like a little ketchup with your elephant?