Essays from West of 98: One Bite At A Time
How do you eat an elephant? Have you ever thought about the answer to that question? You do it one bite at a time.
When I first ran for mayor almost four years ago, I fielded many questions about the task of revitalizing Stamford. How would we go about that big goal? How would we improve all the things that needed to be improved? I regularly answered those questions with this old saying about eating an elephant. No matter the size of the task, the best way to tackle it is one bite at a time, one step at a time.
Over the last several years, I have learned the importance of that strategy. Progress happens one step at a time. It is vital to take forward steps on a constant, continuous basis. Not every step is the same size, but each step draws you closer towards your ultimate goals. This is why I started “Good News Friday” last year. It is easy to get dragged down by the constant barrage of negativity in the world (especially on social media) or all the stresses and anxieties that weigh on us. But if you look hard enough, you *can* find something good happening. Whether it’s a big deal or a small one, each bit of good news is something to appreciate and build from.
I have never been bashful about the scope of work before us in Stamford in terms of infrastructure that needs improving. I have found it vital to just keep hammering away at progress, big and small. It is not always easy. You may be surprised to learn that I go through bouts of feeling overwhelmed. Each citizen deserves the same level of high-quality government services. One side of town or one group of people is no more deserving than any other group within our community. I will not be satisfied until each and every citizen in Stamford has the highest and best level of government services. That is why I focus on forward progress each day. When I feel overwhelmed, I think of all the steps we have made. I look at how far we have come. I know that we are still on the right path, even if the path remains long and winding.
Recently, I was thinking about the overall impact of positive momentum in a community. A few weeks ago, I saw an interesting tweet from Becky McCray. Becky is the creator of the “Small Biz Survival” website and is a well-regard speaker on entrepreneurship in rural communities. She observed that she was tired of people overthinking rural development. Instead of overthinking and overcomplicating it, sometimes it’s important to take small actions and learn from the results. It sparked a thought in my mind. I replied to her: “I certainly do not advocate for not having a plan—planning is important—but there is something to be said for the inertia of activity. Getting something, anything going creates other progress in ways that you don’t expect.”
We are seeing that happen in Stamford right now and it buoys my spirit. There are good things happening in and those good things have spawned other good things. New people are volunteering in new ways. New folks are investing financially in our community. New businesses are being established. When I have talked to a few of these folks, they have mentioned that they’ve seen the good things happening and they want to be part of it.
That’s the interesting thing about positive momentum. When you make visible progress in your community, other people notice and start to participate as well. Good things happen in ways you could not expect or predict. So, if you feel overwhelmed by the task at hand, just keep eating that elephant one bite at a time. You never know how and when you’ll inspire others to step in and start eating with you.
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to West of 98 wherever podcasts are found.