A flooded bathroom needs to be mopped up. An unpleasant phone call hangs heavily over your head like an anvil on a string. A massive work project on your desk stares back at you with defiant eyes. Dreaded tasks can turn your knees to jelly, leaving you in a puddle of paralysis. Sometimes, the mere thought of what it will entail makes it almost impossible to start.
That’s when it’s necessary to get crafty and outsmart the forces that hold you in thrall. Certain strategies make it easier to tackle a daunting task. Here are some of the most effective.
1. Make a Plan
Success stems from a plan. Large goals can’t be achieved without the achiever having some idea of how to break them down into smaller, manageable pieces. Running a marathon is a daunting task. Trying to achieve it without a plan of action is like setting out on a long journey with no map, just hoping you’ll eventually stumble upon your destination. No wonder you feel overwhelmed.
Walker Larson
Author
Before becoming a freelance journalist and culture writer, Walker Larson taught literature and history at a private academy in Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife and daughter. He holds a master’s in English literature and language, and his writing has appeared in The Hemingway Review, Intellectual Takeout, and his Substack, The Hazelnut. He is also the author of two novels, “Hologram” and “Song of Spheres.”
