Hi, this is Garry from Next Actions
How often have you started a task or project only to give in part way through because its too hard
How often do you look at tasks and think “that’s too much work” so skip over them
These both happen more often than you think
People take a look at their projects or tasks then move on because they are just too hard or too much work
Join me now to talk about how you can overcome this
How you can move away from the “too hard thinking” and into the “that’s easy to do” mindset
Take a look at your task list
I’ll bet there a lot of things on there that you may be labelling as too hard, or too much work
I know I have had things like that
I used to look at them, think “nope, too much work” and then move onto the next thing
Tasks and projects would sit like this for months
Every day I’d look at them.
Every day I would then skip over them
And this list of “too hard” projects, well it just kept on growing
What I needed to do was to think about them differently
Rather than skipping over them I needed to start doing them
The way to do this was to stop.
Then spend some time actually thinking about the project or task
Then use this thinking to break the task down into smaller sub-tasks each of which I could more easily do
An example of this is in producing the videos and podcasts that I now do
I first wrote this down about 2 years ago
It read “start releasing videos”
Every time I looked at this I would think “That’s a good idea, but its a lot of work”
And “I don’t have the skills to do this”
I would then pass over it and look at the next item
The results – it was too much, and I did nothing to help me grow the skills I needed
Then one day I stopped
I looked at the task and thought “what can I do to start achieving this”
So I did not move on
I spent some time thinking about this, and I started to break it down
I thought to myself, what do I really need to do to start making videos
The first thing was what will I make them about
So I wrote down, into an outline “I want to make some videos with business tips in them”
The next step was to start coming up with ideas for videos
I started to add to the outline a list of videos that I would like to watch
I didn’t put in too much details, it was just a list of videos, things like
Setting Boundaries
Identifying needs
Accountability
I ended up with a list of about 20 things I thought I could make videos about
This list is now up to 41 and I’m adding new items every week
I then thought about what I would need to make videos
This came down to a camera, a microphone and some software to edit it with
I looked at what I had.
My laptop had a built in camera and microphone
As I used Apple it also had a free version of iMovie, which is a basic video editing package
I had the equipment that I needed
And yes, it was very basic equipment, and since then I have upgraded, but I had enough to start
So the total amount it cost me to start making videos was nothing
By breaking it down I took a seemingly hard thing and made it simpler
This is the key to achieving anything
Stop looking at it as something that is hard
Instead take that step back
Spend some time to think about the project or task
Take the time to understand it
Dig deep so you can see what it is you want to achieve
Then use this to start to break it down into some simpler steps
Each of these steps is then something that you can more easily achieve
If one of them looks difficult, repeat the process for that item
Break that down into smaller steps again
Each of these steps will be that bit easier, and will enable you to do it
Back with my example I had written down that I was going to do a video on accountability
I would look at it, and the other videos ideas, and think “that’s too hard” then skip it
So I applied the process
I spent a bit of time and broke it down into smaller steps
These were
Research accountability
Write a script for Accountability
Review and refine script
Record video
Edit video
Release to Youtube and Facebook
By breaking to down into smaller steps I was able to start seeing each of them more clearly
I looked at “research accountability” and this was something I could do
Once I’d spent time doing that I was then able to write a script
The script wasn’t perfect, but it gave me a starting point
I now had something I could work with
This moved into the refine phase, which moved into the record phase, then edit and finally release
I had broken through the block I had put there “ its too hard”
And I had delivered a video
I had achieved something hard, by doing lots of smaller, simpler, things
I could then repeat this process with the next item
Breaking it down to things I can do and them do then one after another
I went from having no videos to being able to release 1 video per week
As part of this I was also improving my video skills
The first videos were, to be honest, awful
But each week I would make sure I improved one thing
I wasn’t trying to be perfect over night
And that was very hard for me as I am quite a perfectionist
What I was trying to do was make one improvement per week
This could be in how I write the script
It could be through making myself do read throughs out loud rather than just in my head
I identified equipment that would help me to improve the videos
I changed things in the processes I used
Every week I would make one change
And over time these changes would add up
With each change you are improving your end result
With each change you are getting better
With each change you are moving closer to the results you deserve
Do you have something that you are constantly putting off?
Can you share it in the comments?
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To summarise
When you come across something that you think is too hard don’t just skip over it
Stop
Take some time to think and investigate it
Then break it down into small sub-tasks
Each of these are then easier for you to achieve
If needed break these sub-tasks down even further
With each repetition you are taking something that is hard and turning into a series of things that are easier
Once you have broken it down you can then start to do the simpler sub-tasks
Take them one at a time and complete them
Each one you complete then allows you to move onto the next action, then the next and the next
Before you know it your done
You’ve done all the smaller and simpler tasks
And by doing that you have completed that hard one
You have delivered the results you deserve
If you have a problem, project or task that you think is too hard then give me a call
Working together we can break that down into smaller, simpler steps.
We can understand and do them.
We can deliver the results
Please reach out to me on 0415 591672
I am based in Australia so please use the international dialling code +61 if calling from another Country
You can also email me on garry@nextactions.com.au
or visit nextactions.com.au where you will find a link to book a free short introductory call
Do you have any topics you’d like me to cover
If you do please drop a comment below
And I’ll add to the list of upcoming videos
Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel so you get new videos as they come out
I’ll talk to you again soon
