Take on big jobs one bite at a time

Ever feel overwhelmed by the project or task in front of you?  We all do. But here is the cool thing…we can do huge things if we just do them a little bit at at time.  Impossible things.  It just takes a plan and determination.

The last blog mentioned my trips to Yellowstone with my photo buddies (hey…they are actually buddies…not just photo buddies).  On my early winter trip there this year, I drove in from Chicago and they flew in from their homes in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.  I arrived a day early.  In driving around the park, I came across an amazing sight…a single wolf attempting to kill a buffalo.  The buffalo had to be five to ten times larger than the wolf.  It did seem to be injured…at least it didn’t run off when attacked like it would have had it been fully healthy.  It was still able to fight back hard and it did so…for many hours.

I watched the wolf lay in wait for just the right moment.  Watched it sneak up on the resting buffalo.  Watched it jump the buffalo and take a huge bite out of it’s back (see the photo in this blog).  Over the course of the afternoon, it just kept attacking until the buffalo finally died.  One wolf…a wolf with a plan, patience, unafraid and determined…killed that huge buffalo.  Hard to watch (Park rules don’t allow you to interfer with natural events like the wolf attack…and I am pretty sure I wanted to do nothing to get that wolf’s full attention).  And…absolutely amazing.

That task that has you buffaloed at work is much the same as the attack.  You can do it.  It will take a while.  You will have to stay focused.  Stay committed.  Work hard.  Take on some risks.  Keep at it a bite at a time.  And, in the end, the task will be completed.  And you will be the victor.

You can do it.  Take a deep breath and have at it.

Oh…had the wolf been able to get help to finish off the buffalo, he would have done so.  Get all the help you can find.