One Inch at a Time

We all have those days. Or weeks. Or let’s be honest—entire months—where everything feels like too much. The inbox that never seems to empty. The laundry pile that keeps coming back. Work deadlines, grocery lists, meetings, family responsibilities, and that one project that keeps getting pushed to “next week” because starting it feels exhausting.

On their own, these tasks aren’t overwhelming. Piled together, they can feel like too much.

When that familiar sense of pressure kicks in—the kind that makes hiding under the covers seem like a reasonable solution—there’s a simple strategy to fall back on: the Inchworm Technique.

An inchworm doesn’t get from one end of a branch to the other in one giant leap. It moves one tiny inch at a time. Same with climbing stairs—you don’t leap from the bottom to the top in one go, you take it one step at a time.

That’s the key to handling overwhelm.

When everything feels like too much, break it down. Big, looming tasks work better when they’re turned into small, manageable “inches.” Instead of worrying about the entire staircase, the focus shifts to the next step. Then the next. Progress builds quietly, steadily, and often faster than expected.

If it helps, set mini-milestones along the way so you can celebrate your progress. (Yes, checking off a box totally counts as a celebration.)

Before long, what once felt impossible starts to feel doable.

Small steps. Steady progress. You’ll get there