The Lie We Tell Ourselves

It Won't Take Long

There is a little mental trap many of us fall into when we are planning our day.

We think, “I can just knock that out. It won't take long.”

And sometimes we are right.

But more often than we would like to admit, that sentence is a lie.

Not an intentional lie. We aren't trying to deceive anyone. We are deceiving ourselves because we are looking at the idea of the task instead of everything required to actually complete it.

That distinction can cost us hours.

The One-Sentence Trap

Here's a simple example.

You write down:

“Update my website.”

There it is. One nice, tidy sentence.

Looks easy enough.

But what does “update my website” actually mean?

Maybe it means:

• Decide what needs to be changed.
• Review the existing pages.
• Determine which pages are outdated.
• Write new copy.
• Edit the copy.
• Find or create images.
• Resize and optimize the images.
• Update the pages.
• Check links.
• Check mobile formatting.
• Test forms.
• Clear the cache.
• Proofread everything.
• Publish the changes.
• Go back and make the three things you discovered during testing work correctly.

Suddenly, “update my website” isn't a task.

It's a project.

And that's where we get ourselves into trouble.

We estimate the time required based on the sentence we wrote down rather than the steps required to make that sentence a reality.

Your Brain Loves the Shortcut

Our brains are remarkably good at compressing complicated things into simple concepts.

That's useful.

You don't think through every individual movement required to make a cup of coffee. You simply think, “I'll make coffee.”

But that mental shortcut becomes a problem when we use it for projects.

“I'll write the newsletter.”

“I'll launch the podcast.”

“I'll clean out the garage.”

“I'll update my LinkedIn profile.”

“I'll create that course.”

“I'll organize my files.”

Those aren't tasks.

They're containers full of tasks.

And when we fail to open the container and look inside, we dramatically underestimate the time, energy, attention and decisions involved.

The Sentence Is Not the Plan

This is why I have become a big believer in taking that one sentence and immediately turning it into a bullet list.

Don't just write: Create a new lead magnet.

Write:

• Decide on the topic.
• Define who it is for.
• Determine the promise.
• Outline the content.
• Write the first draft.
• Edit the draft.
• Create the worksheets or templates.
• Format the document.
• Create the cover.
• Create the opt-in page.
• Write the confirmation email.
• Write the delivery email.
• Upload the file.
• Connect the form to the email platform.
• Test the automation.
• Test the download.
• Proofread everything.
• Publish.
• Promote it.

Now you can actually see the project.

And more importantly, you can estimate it.

You may discover that what you thought was a two-hour project is actually a two-day project.

That's not bad news.

That's useful information.

This Is Where “I Don't Have Enough Time” Comes From

Sometimes we genuinely don't have enough time.

But sometimes we have enough time for the task we imagined and not enough time for the task that actually exists.

That's an important distinction.

If you tell yourself, “I'll get this done this afternoon,” and the project contains fifteen separate steps, you have already created a problem before you begin.

Then something predictable happens.

You start.

You encounter step three.

Step three takes longer than expected.

Step four requires information you don't have.

Step five requires a decision you haven't made.

Now you're frustrated.

You look at the clock and realize you've spent two hours and aren't finished.

And the temptation is to conclude:

“Why does everything take me so long?”

Maybe everything doesn't take too long.

Maybe you simply didn't count the steps.

The Hidden Cost Isn't Always Time

There's another reason this matters.

Every unfinished project takes up a little space in your brain.

You may not be actively working on it, but you're carrying it.

You remember that you need to finish the website.

You know you still need to send the email.

You haven't created the thing you promised yourself you would create.

The project sits in the background, quietly demanding attention.

That's exhausting.

Breaking a project into steps does something surprisingly powerful:

It gets the project out of your head and onto paper.

Once you can see the individual pieces, you can decide what actually needs to happen.

Maybe some steps aren't necessary.

Maybe someone else can handle a step.

Maybe two steps can happen simultaneously.

Maybe the project should be divided into smaller projects.

Or maybe you look at the list and realize, “No wonder I kept putting this off.”

Stop Asking, “How Long Will This Take?”

Instead, ask:

“What has to happen for this to be finished?”

That's a much better question.

Don't estimate the time based on the title of the project.

Break it down first.

Then estimate the pieces.

Because “write a book” is impossible to estimate accurately.

But:

• Create outline
• Write chapter one
• Edit chapter one
• Write chapter two
• Edit chapter two
• Continue through manuscript
• Review manuscript
• Format manuscript
• Create cover
• Proofread
• Publish

Now you're working with something tangible.

You can schedule it.

You can delegate it.

You can prioritize it.

And you can stop pretending that writing a book is something you're going to “just knock out this weekend.”

Give Yourself the Truth

There is absolutely nothing wrong with discovering that something will take longer than you thought.

The mistake is repeatedly telling yourself it won't.

That little phrase, “It won't take long,” can become a form of self-sabotage.

It causes us to overcommit.

It causes us to underestimate.

It causes us to squeeze complicated projects into tiny windows of time.

And when we inevitably don't finish, we feel like we failed.

We didn't fail.

Our estimate was wrong.

And the solution isn't to become more disciplined, work faster or squeeze more into the day.

The solution may simply be to look at the whole job before deciding how long the job will take.

So the next time you write down a one-line goal, stop.

Don't immediately put it on your calendar.

Open it up.

Turn that sentence into bullets.

List every step you can think of.

Then look at what you've actually committed to.

You might be surprised.

And you might finally stop wondering why all those supposedly “quick little projects” keep eating your entire day.

Podcasters: Stop Saying “It Won’t Take Long.”

Whether you're planning a podcast episode, preparing for an interview, creating content, or building something new, the same principle applies:

Don't just write down what you want to accomplish. Break it into the steps that will actually make it happen.

And if podcasting is part of your business, there's another place where this matters: your conversations.

The best interviews don't happen by accident. They happen when you give yourself the opportunity to think through your ideas, organize your talking points, anticipate where the conversation might go, and show up prepared without sounding rehearsed.

That's exactly why Jennifer Jensen and I created The Rehearsal Studio.

It gives podcasters a place to work through an episode before they hit record, so you can spend less time scrambling and more time having the kind of conversation your audience actually wants to hear.

Stop winging it. Stop underestimating the work. Start preparing with intention.

Your best conversations are worth the preparation.

Step into The Rehearsal Studio and see what happens when you give your podcast the preparation it deserves.

https://therehearsalstudio.app/

Denise Griffitts, Host Your Partner In Success Radio and The Closers Inner Circle Podcast