Let’s talk about something we all face – big tasks. Whether it’s something for work, a personal goal, or just life in general, we all have those big things we need or want to accomplish.
\It might be a new project at work, finishing a book, starting an assignment, or even hitting a body composition goal. These tasks can feel heavy, overwhelming, or just plain difficult to get started. BUT they don’t always need to feel this way.
From a scheduling standpoint, it’s easy to tell ourselves:
“I’ll dedicate an hour on Monday to read my book.”
“I’ll set aside Sunday to meal prep for the week.”
“I’ll block out a couple of hours in two weeks to get started on that project.”
We’ve all done that plenty of times.
But in reality – we carve out this huge chunk of time, thinking we’ll have everything covered, only to find ourselves scrambling when the time comes. More often than not, we end up postponing or cancelling:
“I’ll push this off until next week.”
“I don’t have time for this right now…” *starts another task on something else.
“Something has come up.”
And before we know it, the task is still sitting there, unresolved.
Why? Because when we make a task feel bigger than it needs to be, we also make it scarier. When something feels too big or too overwhelming, it’s easy to avoid it altogether.
We procrastinate, we push it aside, and when we don’t get it done as planned we enter a negative cycle of shame and guilt.
Small chunks are where it’s at!
What if, instead of trying to tackle the whole thing in one go, you broke it down into smaller, more manageable steps?
Think about it: what if you spent just 10 minutes a day working on that task? Imagine chipping away at it bit by bit, each day adding a little more, and before you know it, you’re making significant progress – with way less stress than if you tried to squeeze everything into one big block of time. The best part? You’re doing it with ease.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples:
Example 1: Meal Planning & Prep.
You know the drill. You tell yourself, “I’ll spend my whole Sunday meal prepping for the week.” But Sunday comes around, you’re tired, and suddenly that task feels like a mountain. You get sidetracked, go for lunch with a friend, maybe nap a little too long, and before you know it, meal prep is #DOOMED.
But what if you spent just 10 minutes each evening doing a little bit?
What if you spent just 10 minutes each night logging into MyFitnessPal, logging your food for the next day with what you already have at home, and prep together a lunch box of food ready to go for the next day?
In this 10 mins, you could also jot down 2-3 things you need to go buy on Sunday to have things high in protein and aligned with your macros ready to go and cook up as you need. Little by little, you’re setting yourself up for a successful week, without the stress of cramming it all into one big day.
Example 2: Reading a Book.
How many of you have bought a book with the intention of becoming a “reader,” only to let it sit on your shelf for weeks (or months) collecting dust? You keep telling yourself, “I’ll start reading on Monday, and I’ll commit to reading for an hour.” But Monday comes and goes, and your book is still untouched.
What if, instead of waiting for that elusive “perfect time,” you just picked up the book and read for 5 minutes right now? Five minutes a day doesn’t sound so hard, right? Over the course of a week, you’d have read 35 minutes. And once you build that small habit, it’s easier to keep going. You’re no longer intimidated by the idea of finishing a whole book because you’ve broken it down into manageable, bite-sized chunks.
The power of small steps lies in their simplicity. When a task feels smaller and more achievable, we’re far more likely to start. We remove the pressure of needing to do everything all at once and instead focus on the process, step by step.
And it’s not just about getting things done—it’s about feeling good while doing them. When you’re consistently making progress, even in small ways, it boosts your confidence and keeps you motivated. Plus, you avoid that negative cycle of guilt that often comes from procrastination.
The biggest thing to take away from this is SMALL AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.