The one thing I learned in college that I use everyday

I was in college TEN years ago. As I wrote that sentence it didn’t seem right so I did the math. Then did the math again. It’s true. This time ten years ago I would have been heading into my sophomore year of college, and while that doesn’t seem possible because it seems like just yesterday, I am so thankful for my college experience and what it taught me, even ten years later. Of all the things I learned in college there is ONE thing that I learned during those four years that I still use every. single. day. It’s actually pretty funny, because the person who taught it to me was my golf coach, who also happens to be my dad. So thanks dad, for teaching me one of the most valuable lessons – I don’t know if you knew how impactful it would be to me, but it’s been a life changer.

So here it is, the one thing I learned in college that I use everyday:

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Maybe you’ve heard this little saying before, or maybe not. If you haven’t, here’s what it means – When you’re faced with a task or challenge, instead of looking at it as a whole, which can be overwhelming and produce the fear that you’ll never get it done, look at the next small step right in front of you and focus on that.

When my coach-and-dad first presented this idea to me, it was in the context of a round of golf. When I golfed, I was constantly thinking about what my total score would be at the end of the 18 holes. I was paralyzed with the idea that if I bogied or doubled a hole, it would ruin my entire round. This led me to feeling overwhelmed and anxious every time I stood over the ball before I hit it. So, coach would tell me, “One bite at a time”, meaning “One shot at a time”. If I could focus just on the next shot I was going to hit rather than my entire round, there was WAY less pressure. All I had to do was try my best on that ONE shot, and take care of the rest later. I wish I could tell you this advice led me shoot under par every round, and I never felt anxious on the course again, but that’s just not true. However, I NEVER forgot that advice. I still use it to this day and it actually helps me more in my present life that it ever did in college during a golf round.

In every aspect of my life, “one bite at a time” has helped me get through challenges. Before I became a stay at home mom, I would think about work projects in terms of small steps rather than one huge task. When a busy day came my way, I would just do the next small thing in front of me, over and over again, until the day was done and my project was accomplished. Now as a stay at home mom, “one bite at a time” is saving my sanity, truly. Every household task that needs to get done is broken down into small bites. When I’m doing laundry, I silently encourage myself with, “One piece of clothing at a time” until the baskets are empty and the drawers are full.

But the “one bite at a time” mantra helps me with more than just trivial tasks. I also use it with the really important things. For example, when I need to spend intentional time with my son but my to-do list is swirling around in my mind I tell myself, “Focus on this time with Nolan and you’ll get to the other things later. You don’t have to do it all right now.” This advice puts my life into perspective in a major way. I’m able to prioritize and be more intentional with the things that matter most.

This post has been so much fun for me to write because there’s never a day that “one bite at a time” doesn’t cross my mind in some capacity. While I’m no longer a college golfer, I still have a tendency to look at the big picture of a task or day and get overwhelmed, just like I did during my golf rounds. I’m grateful for my dad who taught me the importance of taking things one bite at a time because it’s changed my life in the way I approach the small things and the big things. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by a huge task, or feel like you can’t focus on what’s right in front of you because of what needs to get done, I hope you’ll ask yourself how you would eat an elephant, and find peace in taking one bite at a time.

I love you and praying that you experience some genuine joy today!

– Jenn