Not every productivity method works for everyone. That’s why there are so many methods out there, and why you should spend time figuring out which ones might work for you, even if you have to tweak them a little. When you’re faced with a really big or overwhelming task, the traditional methods you normally rely on might not be so helpful. Why not try a one-two punch, combining two to make it easier?

Let’s try the one-bite technique first. This takes a bit of planning ahead, but it can really help you when a task feels daunting. Grab a piece of paper (or use a digital document) and write out your task. Let’s say it’s to lead a quarterly meeting at work. Then break it down into the smaller tasks that make up the task, such as coordinating attendees, creating an agenda, making sure the technology and meeting space are in order, and keeping track of what’s being said during the meeting.

From there, keep breaking it all down. Coordinating attendees means not only sending out agenda invites, but also determining who should get one, keeping track of the accept and decline lists, and sending or scheduling meeting reminders for everyone. Setting the agenda means vetting presenters and staff on what they can present and simply writing down a list of topics to discuss and allocating the appropriate amount of time to each. Checking out the tech and meeting space means coordinating with IT, renting the meeting space, making sure your digital meeting room subscription is paid for, and making sure you have enough chairs for everyone. Keeping track of what’s being said involves assigning a note taker, setting up a recording system, and creating a timeline and workflow to ensure the minutes are distributed to the necessary parties in a timely, efficient manner when the meeting is over.

Of course, you know that’s all you need to do when you take on the responsibility of hosting a meeting, but if you treat the task as one big thing — “running the meeting” — instead of consciously breaking it down into smaller tasks, you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed. This goes for everything from planning a vacation to cleaning the house. Training yourself to break tasks down into smaller “bites” instead of diving straight into the big picture will not only help keep things running smoothly, it will also motivate you: Seeing smaller tasks getting done will make you feel accomplished and ready to move on.