If you’ve ever stared at a task so big it made your brain shut down like a laptop with a low battery, you’re not alone. Overwhelm sneaks up on everyone. One moment you’re fine, the next you’re scrolling through your phone, pretending the Everest-sized job on your desk doesn’t exist. The good news is that you can beat overwhelm without superpowers. You only need one skill: breaking things down into small, winnable steps.
This is the heart of the “Eating the Elephant” chapter in Winning The Game. You take the giant task, slice it into smaller pieces, and suddenly the impossible starts looking manageable. It’s simple, but it works.
Let’s walk through it.
You Can Only Deal with What You Can See
Overwhelm often comes from trying to view the entire problem at once. You see the end goal, the steps, the mess, the unknowns, and your brain throws its hands up and calls for a lie down. You don’t need to solve everything. You only need the next step.
When I ran my first business, I faced a mountain of paperwork one month. The kind that spreads across your desk like it’s planning to take over your life. I kept trying to organise it all at once, which meant I got nowhere. Eventually, I set a timer for ten minutes and picked one stack. Ten minutes later, progress had happened. Small, but real. That small win broke the deadlock. By the end of the week, the whole mountain was sorted.
The truth is simple: your brain loves a win, no matter how small. Each small win boosts motivation. The trick is giving yourself the chance to win earlier.
Ask Yourself: What Is the First Tiny Step?
When a task feels too big, break it down into smaller tasks until you can say yes to each one.
Writing a book? Don’t start with “write the book.” Start with “write for five minutes.”
Running a marathon? Start by putting your trainers at the door.
Trying to clear a cluttered office? Start with the top drawer.
If you can’t say yes to the action, the action is too big. Break it down until it becomes laughably small. That’s when you gain momentum. The small step doesn’t solve the whole problem, but it starts the process.
Ask yourself right now: what’s one tiny step you could take today toward your biggest task?
Small Wins Help You Stay in the Game
In Winning The Game, I talk a lot about gamification. You can turn progress into a game because your brain responds well to rewards. When you tick something off a list, you get a small boost of energy. When you see progress, you keep going.
Try this:
- Write a list of all the small steps.
- Tick them off as you complete them.
- Celebrate each tick, even if it feels silly.
A friend of mine was overwhelmed with launching her small business. She didn’t even know where to start. We broke it into small actions: choose a name, register an email, write one sentence for her website. Every time she completed a small step, she coloured a box on a chart stuck to her fridge. In three weeks, the business was live.
Your progress doesn’t come from doing big things. It comes from doing small things often.
Cut the Noise and Focus on One Simple Action
One of the biggest causes of overwhelm is trying to do too much at once. Multitasking is just a fancy way of saying “doing lots of things badly.” Pick one thing. Finish it. Then move on.
When I first started coaching clients, I noticed how often people froze because they were juggling too many tasks. One client was trying to build a website, write marketing content, set up finance systems, and recruit staff in the same week. No surprise she felt like she was drowning.
We picked one action for the day. Just one. She finished it with less stress and more satisfaction. That one win led to another, and within a month, she had everything in place without burning out.
Your focus is your advantage. Use it wisely.
Your List of Small Wins Is Not Just a To-Do List
It’s evidence of progress.
When things get tough or you feel stuck, look back at your completed small wins. You’ll see that you’re not failing. You’re building progress brick by brick.
People often expect motivation to come first, but it rarely does. Action comes first. Motivation follows action. You move, then your feelings catch up.
If you’ve ever procrastinated on cleaning the kitchen, you know this is true. You start with picking up one glass. Then another. Before you know it, you’re wiping down surfaces like a pro. You didn’t start motivated. You created motivation through small actions.
Why Big Wins Need Small Starts
When you see successful people, you often see the result, not the process. You see the trophy, not the training. You see the business launch, not the months spent sorting out the boring parts. You see the fit body, not the daily steps taken on cold mornings.
Every achievement is built on repetition.
Small wins build habits.
Habits build progress.
Progress builds success.
This is why I push gamification in Winning The Game. When you reward your small wins, you stay in motion. The game becomes enjoyable. You stay committed because you’re having fun.
When was the last time you rewarded yourself for progress? Most adults wait for big achievements. You don’t need to. Reward yourself today. It keeps the game fun.
What Small Win Can You Claim Today?
Take a moment. Think about something you’ve been avoiding. Break it into the smallest step. Do that step today. Not tomorrow. Today.
Here are some simple ideas:
- Send one email.
- Clear one shelf.
- Write one paragraph.
- Walk for five minutes.
- Make one difficult phone call.
- Drink one glass of water if you’re tackling health goals.
- Ask one person for help if you’re stuck.
Small steps create momentum. Momentum gets you moving toward the big goal.
Play the Long Game, One Short Step at a Time
Life doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. Success doesn’t need to be stressful. When you break things into small wins, you gain control. You feel stronger. You stay in motion.
You also start to enjoy the process.
If you’re looking for a practical system that helps you understand your purpose, set smart goals, manage your time better, and turn success into a game you actually want to play, you may enjoy Winning The Game. It takes the pressure off and gives you tools that work in real life.
Start small. Celebrate often. Keep going.
Your next win is waiting for you to take the first tiny step.