There is a well-known joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Some have attributed it to St. Francis of Assisi. Others insist Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it. Perhaps someone found it in their Christmas cracker. Wherever the joke came from, there is a profound, albeit simple, philosophy hidden inside it.

When you’re facing a big challenge that feels overwhelming, your very first task is to break that challenge down into smaller, more manageable tasks. You then simply tackle one bite-sized task at a time. Do that with consistency and, before long, your seemingly insurmountable challenge will have been resolved with amazing efficiency.

I like the elephant metaphor. It’s such a striking image that it’s easy to remember, especially in those moments when overwhelm takes hold. And in any art-making process, there are plenty of those.

I find myself reaching for the metaphor most when working with actors-in-training who are approaching performances for which they’re being assessed. The tangible mounting pressure they can feel to “get it right” in front of the assessor always threatens to undo the weeks of fun, experimentation, courage and detail we’ve collectively unearthed.

One joke, strategically timed, always provides the reassurance they need to focus only on their very first moment on stage and to trust that each moment will follow from that. Except, with apologies to the late Saint and the late Archbishop, I’ve tweaked the punchline a bit:

How do you eat an elephant?

You start with its tail.