When it comes to big daunting projects, you have two options for tackling them. You can do a little bit every day and whittle down the project over time. For many, this feels like the less overwhelming approach. Or, you can dive in and tackle a big chunk of the project all at once. Not too many people I talk to take this second option. It’s too easy to put off the work with this approach because it feels like such a commitment.
It seems like the little-every-day approach is a no-brainer, right? It sounds good. It seems easy. It’s like a sure thing.
But, I actually want to make a case for tackling projects in big chunks. It does mean that you have to find that chunk of time, plan ahead, set aside a morning or an afternoon or a whole day, but in my experience, you’re more likely to complete projects with this approach.
With the little-every-day approach, it feels like you’re making consistent progress and that makes it easy to let yourself off the hook if you’re particularly busy one day or when it comes to meeting your self-imposed deadlines.
But when you schedule in a big chunk of time to work on something, you’re more likely to stick to it, and you’ll get more done in a single sitting.
The final thing about tackling big chunks is that it’s just more satisfying. Do it a few times and you’ll get addicted. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some examples.
First, a domestic example. The laundry. Maybe you’ve never had laundry pile up. I have kids, so the laundry piling up is a given. Doing a load a day — wash, dry, fold, put away — is one way to tackle a pile of laundry. But when
