Making Molehills out of Mountains? How to Turn Big Goals into Manageable Tasks

Small mounds of dirt (molehills) in front of mountains

Standing at the base of a mountain - whether it’s a career change or a major life goal - can feel paralyzing. The sheer size of what lies ahead – new decisions, new directions, and plenty of uncertainty - can halt your progress you before you even begin. Here’s the thing. Big changes never happen all at once. They move forward step by step, task by task. Formalizing this process is called “chunking” and can help you find clarity, focus and forward motion when tackling big goals. In this blog, we’ll focus on how to break your mountain into molehills, by exploring how to:

• Use chunking to stop wondering “where do I begin”

• Apply chunking to your career change goal

• Avoid common pitfalls

Why Overwhelm Happens

The brain’s natural reaction to large undefined projects is to freeze. There is uncertainty, lack of clarity about the path forward, and an overall sense of overwhelm. This is particularly true during a career transition where your professional identity may shift, your confidence falters, and decisions seem weighty. Add perfectionism and fear of failure to the mix and you begin to feel paralyzed, questioning your ability to achieve goals. Enter: procrastination and inertia.

Chunking, defined

Chunking, by definition, is breaking big goals into smaller, achievable steps. The process enhances goal achievement in several ways. It will help you:

• Focus your attention and boost productivity

• Reduce procrastination by breaking big goals into smaller, less intimidating tasks

• Sequence tasks strategically for greater efficiency

• Track progress more easily and stay accountable

• Improve time management with scheduled task blocks

• Prevent burnout by avoiding overload

• Build confidence through small, steady wins

How to apply chunking to your career change or big goal

You probably do a lot of chunking without even realizing it. For example, preparing a new dish by following a recipe. The final product is broken down into steps and are laid out in a logical sequence (there are the chunks). Experienced cooks adhere to the principles of mise en place or arranging all ingredients in advance. Like chunking, mise en place requires reading the recipe in its entirety before starting so that you see the big picture.

The 5 Steps of Chunking

• Clarify your goal by starting with the big picture (look at the mountain).

  • What is the end game?

  • What will success look like?

• Identify the major milestones (create your molehills)

  • These are the distinct stages that will bring you to your goal

  • Map them out to help structure your time and focus

• Break down the milestones into small, manageable tasks (these are mini molehills)

  • Each stage has a checklist of clear, specific, timebound actions

  • Design them so they can be tracked

• Organize the time and tools needed to complete your tasks

  • Schedule small blocks of time for focused effort

  • Strategically arrange the sequence of tasks

  • Assemble project boards, calendars, a clear desk space, task apps - whatever will facilitate your work

• Track progress and celebrate small wins (combined, these get you to the mountain top)

  • Use visual tools like checklists, sticky notes, Trello boards

  • Stay motivated by recognizing progress along the way

A practical example

When making a career change, building a strong network in a new sector is an important step. Reaching out to strangers may be somewhat intimidating, however essential to your journey. Here is what chunking may look like for this task.

Goal: establish a network of connections in a new sector

Step 1: Identify what you wish to convey to your new contacts. Have your message clear for when you contact people: who you are, what you are looking for, etc. Test your message with a trusted friend or mentor (or career coach).

Step 2: Identify who to contact. Learn about potential leads by studying Linked In posts and profiles; attending a networking event (online or in person); tapping into your existing network. Create a list with contact information.

Step 3. Start reaching out. Create a plan for how many people you will reach out to (e.g. 3 people/day for one week, or 3 individuals during a networking session). There is no magic number; it is a question of what is reasonable for you.

Step 4. Commit to requesting an informational interview with the new leads.

Step 5. Send a follow-up message to each new contact. Celebrate your accomplishment.

Watch out for common pitfalls

Like any strategy, there are potential snags that may impede your chunking effort. Beware of and avoid the following:

• Getting stuck in the planning phase and never executing

• Trying to do too much at once

• Seeking perfectionism in the task stage

• Overestimating time and energy

• Overloading a single chunk

If any of these pitfalls creep into your process, revisit your “why” and reset. Remain flexible with scheduling and timeline for completion.

Give it a try

Career change, or any big task, doesn’t require a superhuman effort; just one manageable step at a time. Give chunking a try and turn your mountain into a series of molehills. Take that first important small step and move forward towards your goal.

What big goal is your “mountain” right now? Break it down and start climbing, one molehill at a time. Need help chunking your goal? Reach out. Your Career Transition Coach is here for you..