My 2-year-old nephew has been obsessed with the old classic Christmas cartoons and stop-photography films for the past year. He could watch Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Coming to Town on repeat if my sister would let him. To keep screen-time to a minimum, she’ll play the soundtracks instead, so there has been a lot of Mikey Rooney singing “Put One Foot in Front of the Other” playing in the background during calls or when I’ve had the chance to visit in person the past few months.
In Santa Claus is Coming to Town, old Winter Warlock (who wants to become good) says, “It’s so hard to really change” after being confronted with his evil ways. Young Chris Kringle (Rooney) laughs and says, “Difficult? Why changing from bad to good is as easy as taking your first step.”
The horns start, and thus begins a song that will be stuck in your head for days on end.
When large projects loom ahead
Anyone who’s ever had a major project to complete knows how overwhelming it can feel when it’s time to get started, and how quickly that wave of anxiety can sweep over you and drag you into the deep end where your feet can’t touch bottom.
It’s the wave of panic that would hit me at the start of each term when my profs would hand me my course syllabus with all my projects and their due dates in bold black letters.
It’s the wave of nausea that would make me want to run to the bathroom when I was working at a non-profit and another task was added to my urgent to-do list that was already running out the door.
It’s the wave of impending doom I get when I realize the year is coming to an end and I need to start getting everything together for my CPA.
And it’s the wave that threatens me anytime I get bogged down by the realization that I’m trying to cram an entire world into X amount of words.
Sometimes the job seems so big, it’s just impossible. So we freeze. And then, inevitably, the guilt and shame sets in.
Mark Twain said, “the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and starting on the first one.”
We tend to put way too much pressure on ourselves, especially as writers. When the itch to write hits us and the story idea comes to us, we want that perfect story on paper—right now. And then we get bogged down by all the details when we remember how much work it is to write, edit, publish, and get that book into the hands of our readers.
But here’s the thing. No one expects you to finish a major project in one sitting, and neither should you.
Taking that first step
One thing that’s helped me when I’ve been hit by the enormity of a task is to allow myself a moment to recognize the emotions and then ask what it is about the task that triggered those feelings. If it’s because I’m not feeling equipped for the task, I’ll either ask for help from someone more experienced or give myself a day to do a little quick research.
If it’s because there are certain aspects about the overall task that I enjoy about as much as my least favorite housekeeping chores, I’ll pick one of those items and place it between two things that I do enjoy doing.
And, next thing I know, my feet are touching the sand again.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of a project this week—even if it’s one you love—take the advice of Mark Twain and Mikey Rooney. Yes, that first step can be difficult. You might feel shaky as you transition from one step to the next. You might even stumble a bit.
But give it enough time, you’ll find your balance…and soon you’ll be walking out the door!
Endure fort, my friend.
—Jen
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay