How do you Eat an Elephant and the Zeigarnik Effect

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"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu We all have favorite TV series that we binge watch. On the cliffhanger season finale, the words "To be continued...leaves you in a state of suspended animation, and until the new season brings resolution to the mystery, questions about what happen remain ticking away in the back of your mind. This is the Zeigarnik effect. A Russian psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik notice an odd thing about the waiters in a Vienna restaurant where she dines. They seem to remember only orders which they were in the process of serving. But after their customers have been served, their memory of those orders were completely forgotten. After further research, Zeigarnik theorized that our mind refuse to let go of unfinnish tasks until it's completion. When people manage to start something they are more motivated to complete it. However, don't start with the hardest part. We get so wrapped up thinking about the difficulty, often a sense of foreboding can lead to procrastination and discouragement. Instead, nibble away at the easiest parts. Once started, something inside our brain will keep drawing us to complete the GOAL. Just like "eating an elephant" which I use as a metaphor for difficult situations, problems or task. Take it one bit (bite) at a time. What is your mindset when completing a task or project? Do you do the difficult part or the easier ones first? This discussion with all the suggestion of eating and dining out is making me hungry so I'll take a break to nibble on something. (No, not a pachyderm).