If you want to start with a big problem, chop it into smaller parts, making it easier to start. Sometimes working on only minor issues is counterproductive and will hold your progress and impact back.
Everybody says yes to small items
“Can you help me with this small problem”? Everybody will say yes since it is small, so you will likely receive a kind answer even if they do not have time. Will this help you? You get help on the small problem, and solving all minor issues should solve the big problem. Wouldn’t it be better to gain commitment from others to the big problem instead of focusing on the little pests?
People need to think about and commit to big topics
“Can you help me with this huge problem”? Not everybody will say yes. They will only say yes when they can make the time and commit. Your selection of people that can help you is smaller but with a higher commitment. You can still work on the small items, though now you have somebody with you along the whole way who is in it.
Make it more significant for a reality check
You can stay modest and keep your projects small, though what happens if you increase the size 5-fold? Of course, you can be fearful you do not get approval or commitment, though if that is the case, the 1-fold project was terrible as well. It was just small enough to ignore.
Therefore do not be shy in making your project a little bit bigger. Not bigger than needed. Though more significant in the way, you would also make more impact. It might be scary since not everybody will like it, but you want to get the right people interested and create skin in the game.
