Just Take a Bite

There is one question that I almost always ask myself when starting a project for a new client. Where, oh where, do you start? I frequently remember the lesson of the mouse and the cheese. A small mouse cannot eat a 5 lb block of cheese at one time. The mouse can eat his or her little bit, then sleep, go on the treadmill and then back to the cheese. One little piece at a time. Eventually, the 5 lb block of cheese is finished. This applies to the world of organizing. In the beginning most are overwhelmed by the immensity of the project which is why my clients call me in the first place. This is like the mouse looking at the block of cheese the first time. After some planning of the scope of any project, the secret is to just take a bite. The mouse didn’t care where or what bite, just take a bite. There may not be a correct first step to starting. We may pick a specific room or office. But to start the details sometimes we have to just pick up an item or open a box and start. Not starting is the indecision that created the disorganization in the first place so, remember one small piece at a time will eventually conquer the project. Just take a bite.