Hello and welcome to my podcast, andrea TLC, in which TLC stands for the Life Coach. I am your host, andrea. Thank you for joining me here today. Andrea, thank you for joining me here today. In today's episode, I want to talk about one of the most effective techniques for tackling big goals and overwhelming tasks by breaking them down into manageable steps. So have you ever looked at a big project and felt completely overwhelmed? If you have, you're not alone. I have. I've felt overwhelmed at big projects. So you're not alone. I've been there, and it doesn't matter whether it's writing a book or starting a new business, even decluttering your house. Large tasks can just seem impossible, but there's a powerful way that can make any goal achievable just by breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps. So why is breaking tasks into smaller steps so important? Well, when you break down a large task into smaller ones, you reduce the feelings of being overwhelmed. It makes the goals appear more easy. Each small step becomes a milestone, giving you a sense of progress and momentum. Plus, smaller tasks are just easier to schedule and complete, making it more likely that you'll stick to the plan and see it through to the end. Ok, so let's talk about how to make this effective.

So here is a step-by-step guide to breaking down your task. So, step one define your goal. Start with a clear and specific goal. What exactly do you want to achieve? The more precise you are, the easier it will be to identify the steps needed to get there. So if you had a chance to listen to my podcast last week about goal setting, I talk about how your goals should be clear. So, instead of saying that you want to get in shape, say instead that you want to lose 10 pounds in three months, or how about that? You want to run a 5k in six months? All right. So make sure that you're making your goals clear, all right.

Step two identify the major milestones. Break your goal into major milestones. These are the big pieces, I guess I should say, of work that needs to be completed along the way. If your goal is to write a book, you know that might include outlining the chapters, writing the first, writing the first draft, etc. Or maybe it's to edit the manuscript, okay. The next step would be to break down the milestones. So, for each milestone, list the smaller task that's required to complete it. Be as detailed as possible, though. For example, if one of your milestones is to write the first draft of a chapter. Your smaller task might be to research the topic. Maybe it's to create an outline or even write an introduction, ok. So step four would be to prioritize and sequence the task. So determine the order in which the tasks need to be completed and then prioritize them. Some tasks will naturally need to come before others, of course, so create a logical sequence that makes sense for the project, logical sequence that makes sense for the project. This step is very necessary for building a clear roadmap to your goal.

Step five set deadlines. So you want to assign realistic deadlines for each task. Now, this is something that I struggle with, okay, and again, I'm going through this journey. I'm going through this journey right along with you, okay. So, yes, I do struggle with this one here on assigning realistic deadlines. For example, what I like to say in my head for one is in my head for one is um, I like to get something done on this day, at this time, and I might say that I want to get it done at 6.00 AM in the morning. That is not realistic for me, okay, a realistic time for me might be nine, nine, 30 ish. Okay, it's pushing it. If 10 o'clock, okay, that's pushing it, but I've been known to go there. I'm just saying Okay. So assign realistic deadlines for each task. This helps create a sense of urgency and it keeps you accountable. Consider the other commitments and allow some leeway time for unexpected delays.

Ok, so your next step, step six, would be to track your progress. Keep track of your progress as you complete them. This could be as simple as crossing items off a checklist. Okay, we're not going to make it hard for code or nothing. I mean, we're going to keep it simple. Seeing your progress in real time could be very motivating and it'll actually help you stay on task. Okay. So the next step, step seven, which is to adjust as needed. Be flexible and willing to adjust to your plan as you go. Life happens I mean, it is what it is and you know sometimes things just do not go as planned, okay. So that's why it's important to be able to adjust, review your tasks and deadlines on a regular basis and adjust to stay aligned with your goals. Okay, and adjust to stay aligned with your goals, okay.

Now let's look at a real-life example. Imagine you want to organize your entire house. Yes, I did go there. Okay, no-transcript For each room, list out smaller tasks like sorting items, deciding what to keep, what to donate, what to throw away. You know, even you know items that you might want to put in storage, items that you might want to put in storage. So, by tackling one task each day, before you know it, your entire house will be organized. This is something that I've done.

The hardest part of that whole decluttering your house the hardest part of it all is getting started. Okay, once you actually pick a room and you know get everything or anything that you want to, it becomes easier. Okay, you start in one room and we're just going to start small. We're not going to declutter the whole house all at one time, we're just going to start small. We're going to start in one room, start in another room, take one day to start in one room. At least that's the way that I did it. You know, just taking one room at a time. Okay, it can, it can be done, it really can. And you know, like I said before, before you know it, you've been in, organized the whole house Right. So, before I go, I want to share a few tips to make this process even more effective.

Number one we're going to stay consistent. We're going to work on your task regularly, even if it's just for a short time each day. Consistency is key. I've said it before and I'm going to continue to say this, but consistency is key. It really is. Number two, we're going to celebrate small wins. Take time to celebrate your progress along the way. Each completed task is a step closer to your goals. Okay, and number three stay positive. Maintain a positive attitude and be kind to yourself. What we're not going to do is sit up here and beat. You know, beat yourself up because you know you wanted to get a thing done and it didn't get done, or whatever. We're not going to beat ourselves up for that. Okay, we're going to stay positive. Remember we're stepping forward, no matter how small the progress is. Okay, well, that's it for me today. I hope you found these tips on breaking tasks into manageable steps helpful and inspiring. Manageable steps helpful and inspiring. Remember, no goal is too big when you tackle it one step at a time. Until next time, peace, love and light.