The saying goes:
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
But no one eats elephants. That’s disgusting.
We eat what we love. Or what will make us strong and healthy. Or what we feel like cooking. Or what reminds us of our childhood. Or turkey at thanksgiving. Or pumpkin scones at Starbucks. Or . . . well, we eat a lot.
But the point of the story is not eating. It’s about making progress. Doing things a little at a time until we get something big accomplished.
But life, in this case, is like eating. If we don’t like the process, we’ll never eat the whole thing.
Studies show people are significantly more satisfied with life if they enjoy the small steps on the journey.
And more likely to successfully reach their goals.
Big goals are easy. Because they are huge and far away there’s little downside if we don’t make it there today.
Example: I won’t feel bad about myself if I don’t write the next great American novel this weekend. But if I never write anything today, I’ll never have a chance at the Pulitzer.
If I really enjoy writing then I have a shot at it and I’m happy in the process – and I stick with it.
So, find the thing you love and eat it.
And leave the elephants alone.
Photo by nilsrinaldi via Flickr
