Yes, you read that title right!
Doing something halfway sounds like a bad thing. Shouldn’t we commit to completing a task? Be productive and efficient? After all, it feels so much more satisfying to finish a task and know that it’s done. That way, it can be crossed off the list and put out of our mind.
This is all true, but sometimes it’s not practical to take on a full task at once. Life can give us short time slots that don’t allow for much, unplanned interruptions, and plain old tiredness.
Here’s an example: Let’s say it’s 9:30 at night and you look around your home. It’s a mess. Dirty dishes are piled in the sink, the remains of dinner are across the table, a stack of mail teeters on the counter, etc. And that’s just the kitchen. The mess continues all throughout the house. It’s been a long day, and you’re tired.
If you look at all of that and think that you need to finish it all in one go, you might:
- get overwhelmed very quickly
- put it off until tomorrow (and then put it off again… and again)
- push yourself to do it all and further exhaust yourself
So what can we do instead?
Tackle one part of the task. One.
I can hear the protests: But I can’t go to sleep if the house looks like this. The mess is driving me crazy. If I just do one thing, it will still be a mess and I won’t feel like I did anything…
I get it. In our minds, doing one part of a task and leaving the rest uncomplete feels unsatisfying. It doesn’t provide us with a sense of accomplishment. We can’t put the task out of our mind yet, because it’s not done.
Create Mini Goals
What if we shifted our perspective a little? Split the task into smaller, individual tasks, and think of each one as it’s own goal.
This will allow you to:
- Minimize overwhelm. Focusing on one aspect at a time makes the overall task seem less daunting.
- Reduce procrastination. You’re a lot less likely to push off an easier task. By embracing the partial approach, you can overcome the initial resistance and get started on the task, breaking the cycle of procrastination.
- Give more space for flexibility. It’s easier to fit a shorter task into our busy, ever-changing schedules.
- Increase consistency. You can still make progress on a larger task by dedicating smaller chunks of time and effort to it. Consistency over time is often more impactful than sporadic bursts of effort.
- Lower perfectionism. Recognize that progress can occur through incremental steps, even if the final outcome isn’t “perfect”. This can alleviate the pressure to achieve unrealistic standards and give us a healthier attitude towards productivity.
By tackling mini goals, you can build momentum, gain a sense of accomplishment, and gradually work towards completing the entire task.
Back to our example: Instead of cleaning the whole house, pick one section. Let’s say you choose the kitchen table. (Not the whole kitchen. Just the table.) I think we’ll all agree that goal is a lot more manageable. If you look at cleaning the kitchen table as it’s own goal, you can jump in without the intense overwhelm, and feel a sense of satisfaction when it’s complete.
Once you’re done with that, you can reevaluate and see if you have the time and energy to tackle another mini goal.
This goes far beyond cleaning your home. Creating mini goals can be applied to preparing for Yom Tov, work, making a simcha, or working on your own self-development. Give it a try and see what happens!