Don't look at the Tree..

How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed by the Task at Hand

The Tree

A few weeks ago, we had a couple of bad storms come through our community. The storms weren’t awful, but there was enough wind & rain to knock trees down.

This specific tree had been dead for a while, so I wasn’t too shocked to wake up and find this situation in my side-yard.

However, now I had “this situation in my side-yard” - a tree down that wasn’t going to remove itself..

What We’ve Been Told

I am going to completely flip the script here for a moment, or maybe just change the way you perceive this next statement!

“Keep your Eyes on the Goal”

While I wholeheartedly believe in this, I think sometimes we let it completely stalemate us..

In this case, the Goal was to remove the tree from my yard, or to return my yard back to pre-storm conditions.

WHAT A LOOMING, DISAPPOINTING TASK

To remove the tree from my yard seems like so. much. work. Plus, this is taking away from the fun stuff! Who wants to do “yard chores” on Easter Sunday?!

A Different Outlook

BUT, what if, instead of looking at the task at large, and keeping my eyes on the goal, I broke the task down into smaller, more seemingly manageable micro-tasks (small goals that eventually meet my MAIN goal).

Here’s what that would look like!

First, I’d cut the tree into smaller sections and stack them into piles.

Then, I’d borrow a trailer from a good friend and strategically load the tree into my truck & borrowed trailer to reduce trips to the landfill.

Then, I’d haul off the load & have my yard returned to pre-storm state.

Conclusion

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t truly rewarding seeing the tree gone & my yard back to pre-storm state (minus a dead tree, so technically even better).

I’d also be lying if I said I never struggled with letting the big GOAL stalemate me..

HECK, I almost let it do it to me this time!

I try to take this approach in almost everything I do that seems “hard” -

• a long METCON at the CrossFit gym (one rep, one movement, one round at a time)

• a course or certification I’m trying to achieve

• getting ready to launch new clients with E3 Nutrition

  ..or even you guys BEGINNING this journey to a healthier lifestyle.

So, I’d encourage you -

If the goal seems overwhelming, take a step back and break it into Micro-Goals that are easier to achieve. The BIG GOAL will be accomplished before you know it!

Don’t Look at the Tree..

Have a great weekend!

Eli Grambling

Head Coach, Founder | E3 Nutrition, LLC.