Break It Down

I read a lot of blogs - probably far too many (if you're that interested you can see the full list on my blogger profile).  And I feel that if I want to follow them I should read every post - or at least I want to read every post.  Yesterday I was unable to check any new posts as I was pretty much bedbound (evil M.E.) so today I opened it up to find over 50 new posts.  Being who I am I have to read them all and so have opened them all up so they're waiting for me.

Seeing so many posts could have overwhelmed me, possibly to the point where I could have closed them all and therefore not read any.  I guess I could have chosen which posts to read, therefore prioritizing them.  But let's face it, I don't have much else to do today so I really do have plenty of time to read them all.  So instead of worrying that I have far too much to read I am taking them a few at a time.  I am reading (yes, I'm still going through them) a small block of them and then do something else (go on facebook, write this post, rest).  I am breaking the task down into managable bites.  I believe this is the best way to go about any overwhelming task.  It works particularly well with tidying - instead of trying to tidy the whole room I focus on a small area where I can actually see the difference I've made. 

It can also work with writing.  Instead of thinking 'OMG I have to write x number of words to finish this' break it up so you think 'I want to write 500 words today/in the next hour'.  When you've written them you'll feel better because you'll have accomplished something and won't be worried that you didn't meet your target.  And many lots of 500 words really do mount up incredibly quick.  Of course, don't feel that you can't write more than your set target if you're on a roll.  As long as you're writing something rather than sitting about worrying how much you have to do.

This, as I said before, can be applied to any situation that makes you feel as if you don't want to start because there is so much to do.  If it helps, make a list of all the seperate componants of what you need to do.  And then take it a piece at a time and hopefully whatever the task at hand is, you'll finish it before you realise.