Tackling Large Goals — Divide and Conquer Method
When faced with tasks in life whether these be small or large, we can often push them off for later due to the effort needed to get going with them. In this article I want to share what really helped me break past this and cut down my procrastination significantly.
Divide and Conquer
The main outcome of this strategy is to transform the daunting tasks we face in life through the use of two simple actions:
Divide:
- First things first, we analyse the task at hand and try to see the parts that make up the whole. We begin by taking the main problem and keep dividing it into smaller chunks. The more divisions we perform at this stage the more we can leverage the benefits later on so be sure to go into as much detail as you wish.
Conquer:
- Once we have divided our initial task into smaller pieces, we can move onto the conquer stage. Here we get to reap the rewards of our actions as we will now have a much easier time engaging with the task we set out to do. What was once so large and intimidating is now splintered into fractions that we can deal with.
Result:
- Through the use of this tactic we can make great progress towards large goals with seemingly less effort required. We take care of smaller goals that will feed onto other goals in a chain that allows us to have clarity over the whole. This in turn increases our productivity and makes us more efficient at completing what we set out to do.
Example:
Divide
- Let’s say you have to write a report. You’ve been putting it off since there’s so much that needs doing and the idea of completing it just doesn’t cross your mind. This is where divide and conquer can really save the day.
- We begin by taking the large problem, in this case completing the report, and divide it into smaller tasks. This could be figuring out the layout, the headings you will use and a general idea of what content will go where.
- Repeat the process again. Look at the new tasks and break them down further. The layout could be collapsed into an introduction, the main content and a conclusion. Headings can be arranged based on the flow you want for your content. Content can be organised by topics.
- Keep dividing however much you need. The smaller the parts, the easier the next stage will become. Maybe your lowest level goals would now look something like this: make bullet point notes for topic 1 and research them, note down ideas etc.
Conquer
- Now is the time to go through your new goals starting with the smallest ones. You make small bullet points for the content you want then research them. Make simple notes for what you wish to include in the report.
- From here you can gain quick momentum as everything will be chained together nicely. Your researched notes now become small sentences that eventually become paragraphs and before you know it most of your content is done and just needs some revisions and organisation.
- Thats the power of the divide and conquer strategy. The main task is no longer as daunting as it used to be as you sail through the smaller chunks and gain speed. The level of detail of your division will determine how easy it is to switch onto the next tasks in line.
- If at any point you feel like you’re struggling on your current task, you now have the autonomy to simply switch to another task to keep progressing towards your ultimate goal which wouldn’t have been possible if all you could think about was finishing the entire report.
- Having a large range of tiny tasks to choose from allows you to pick any one at will and make progress on them to keep you going no matter what. This becomes especially useful when you feel like you can’t work properly. The size of the tasks makes it so much easier to attack them even when you don’t feel like it.
Why This Strategy Works So Well
Many generals in the past have utilised the same strategy you have just learnt to win over their opposition. Notable people such as Napoleon would go into battle and keep breaking down the enemy into smaller divisions until they had lost their strength in numbers. At that point they were easier targets that could be dealt with until there were no more left.
In his book “The 33 Strategies of War”, Robert Greene mentions this exact tactic and explains a few examples from the past and what we can learn from them. His summary perfectly captures the essence of the divide and conquer approach:
“Always divide up the issue at hand, first placing yourself in a central position, then proceeding down the line, killing off your problems one by one. It is often wise to begin with the smallest problem while keeping the most dangerous one at bay. Solving that one will help you create momentum, both physical and psychological, that will help you overwhelm all the rest.”
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog :)
I hope you’ve learnt something new and as always feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.