21. Break it Down

As I faced my newest challenge, yoga teacher training, low-grade panic surged through me when I contemplated how I would memorize all of the material month-after-month. I had epiphany.

On a lunch walk, I realized that I could record myself reading each individual set of poses and then replay them over and over. This is one of the many things that brings me to the sidewalk day after day. The latin phrase, solvitur ambulando, is so right: it IS solved by walking.

Basically, I could break down yet another big, scary goal into smaller, achievable tasks. Hmm, this seems really familiar. When have I done this before?

Writing a page a day that turned into a novel draft seven months later? Yes.

Looking at my backyard and choosing to tackle one small part of the weeding at a time? Yes.

Choosing to plant seeds in one small area? Yes.

My garden was the newest practice ground for how to tackle an overwhelming task. It helped me model for myself the way to approach something that at its worst might paralyze me into non-action and at its best inspire me to surprise myself with what I accomplish.

For nearly 15 years, I was paralyzed by the size of the task, the assumed high costs of rehabilitating the space, and my perceived lack of skills, know-how, and ability to tackle the job.

No more!

What I am learning over and over is the power of breaking down big goals into smaller tasks. Every time I do, my confidence and competence grows, as do the piles of weeds I take to the curb for yard waste pick up.