B is for Breakdown.

But hopefully not a nervous one. That's what we're trying to avoid!

However, when applied to your projects or the tasks on your todo list, breakdown is one of the most useful techniques around.

If you're having trouble getting started with a task - because you don't know where to begin, or it seems too big and unmanageable - then try splitting it up into smaller, easier-to-tackle actions.

Then repeat that process until you arrive at a task that you can complete. And do so.

So, for example, "get the car serviced" becomes "find a mechanic"; "book the car in"; "drop the car off at the garage"; "pick the car up". And if "find a mechanic" sounds too difficult then maybe break that down into "ask Tom, Paolo and Sue who they use"; "check the Yellow Pages for nearby garages"; and "ring garages for quotes".

If you keep chipping away like this at a project you'll find each task less daunting and you'll soon have finished the main project without really noticing.

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