One of the finer things in life I really enjoy is a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This delicacy has to be made just right. Just right consists of soft white bread, extra chunky peanut butter, and strawberry jam. The jam needs to have whole pieces of strawberry to qualify for my sandwiches. On one side I spread a thick layer of peanut butter. On the other slice of bread I create art with my jam by spreading it thick and using care to make sure there is no part of the bread left uncovered by the jam. Then I slam those soft white pieces of bread together, look longingly at the delight, and cram it into my mouth.
Yes, I cram it into my mouth in one big bite. It’s so much I can’t chew and sometimes I choke because it’s too much. It’s too much eaten that way. The experience is diminished because of the bad experience with eating that PBJ sandwich in one big bite.
Let’s compare this PBJ with life’s really big goals, tasks, or life dreams. Do you look loving and longingly at how good accomplishment will taste and then shove the entire goal in your mouth only to choke on it? I think not.
Just like you can’t shove an entire peanut butter and jelly sandwich in your mouth at one time, you cannot accomplish your most important goals in one bite either. You will choke. It will get painful. And you might even spit it out because it was too much.
Earlier today I tuned into John Maxwell’s new success series. He talks about doing things each day that support you ultimate goal. He uses an old Zig Zigler reference of “… move closer to those things that support your goals and farther away from those that do not.”
I encourage you to check out Maxwell’s series. He is top notch in my book and will be in yours as well.
The moral is… you can’t eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in one big bite and enjoy it. You also cannot tackle a big goal in one big bite either. It takes small steps until one day you cross the finish line of success with whatever it was you set out to accomplish. Choose to eat your sandwich and goal elephant one bite at a time. Choose to do it every day.
