🧊 Iceberg Tasks 101

A quick guide on overcoming your iceberg tasks to get more done.

Author

Flocus
September 08, 2024

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Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: It’s all about “iceberg tasks” — those to-dos that seem quick and easy on the surface but end up being deceptively complex. Let’s get into it!

🧊 What’s an Iceberg Task?

Today, we’ve got an idea from our team’s personal productivity toolbox to share with you:

Some tasks are like icebergs.

On the surface, they may not seem difficult or take long to do.

But these tasks have major dependencies and challenges lurking beneath the surface to complicate and derail things.

Here’s an example of an iceberg task: Submit study abroad application.

Filling out and submitting the application might not take long. But, before you’re able to do it, you’ll likely spend years:

  • Achieving the grades needed for acceptance into the program

  • Getting your passport and international student visa

  • Planning fun experiences alongside your studies

  • Attending culture, language, and travel classes

  • Saving up money to fund your trip

All this groundwork will take a ton of effort and time and comes with its own challenges.

But it’ll also help you grow exponentially, achieve your life’s biggest goals, and take swift, correct action when it matters most.

So, how can you recognize iceberg tasks in your own life? Scroll on to find out!

👁️ How to Spot Iceberg Tasks

Iceberg tasks are:

  • 🥸 Seemingly quick and easy to complete

  • ⛰️ Deceptively large and complex in scope

  • 🏰 Locked behind lots of other, smaller tasks that must be done in a certain order

  • ⚾ Prone to being derailed by unexpected issues and curveballs

Another reason they’re called iceberg tasks? Because an iceberg is what sunk the Titanic.

Only 10% of that iceberg was visible above water, yet it sunk one of the world’s mightiest ships.

Likewise, the outcomes of iceberg tasks have the power to reshape your life and change your path entirely.

While this may sound a little dramatic, it’s also (hopefully) a little exciting for anyone who’s obsessed with personal growth — like you!

So, how do you approach these tasks in a way that ensures success? Keep scrolling for 3 tried and tested strategies!

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Now, here’s how to tackle your iceberg tasks!

⛏️ 3 Ways to Master Iceberg Tasks

Iceberg tasks can be intimidating and stressful. Here are 3 tactics for navigating them with composure and self-assurance.

🕵️ Pay attention every step of the way

Iceberg tasks deserve as much of your time, effort, and attention as you can give them.

If something’s important to you, it’s only natural that you’d spend as much time as possible on it, and carry out the task with great care.

But paying attention to what you’re doing at each stage of the process can help you see your own growth in real time.

The lead-up to the iceberg task is where the magic happens. It’s where you learn the life lessons and new skills this experience has to offer you. Don’t let these beautiful moments of growth pass you by!

🧑‍🍳 Prepare, prepare, prepare

We can’t stress this tip enough.

Solid groundwork is crucial for successfully completing an iceberg task.

Before you can even make it to an iceberg task, you’ll likely have to complete a bunch of smaller tasks standing in the way.

Preparing well gives you the info and strategies you need to achieve your desired outcome — with less stress and more confidence.

🔀 Know when to innovate or pivot

Iceberg tasks come with unexpected challenges, roadblocks, and issues.

When these crop up, you may need to change course or do something different. This can be discouraging in the moment, but try to bounce back as quickly as you can.

Going back to our study abroad example, you might discover a steep hidden fee during the application process.

To cover this fee, you could pick up a side hustle or part-time job. This might require you to shift your usual schedules and routines, but it’ll ultimately put you back on the right path.

Pro tip: The less time it takes you to go from discovering an issue to solving it, the more resilient you’ll become in the long run!

🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

🖥️ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard

Tackle your iceberg tasks with Flocus! Your personal productivity dash with a custom focus timer, a task list, ambient sounds, aesthetic backgrounds, built-in playlists, and lots more.

🗳️ POLL: Are you navigating iceberg tasks in your own life?

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“Iceberg” tasks — pursuing big life experiences, caring for your health, maintaining good relationships — are the real growth builders.

Know how to:

  • Spot and anticipate them

  • Give them the attention they deserve

  • Pivot or innovate when necessary

  • Find ways to remove friction for yourself now and in the future

Best of luck on the journey ahead. Tell us: What iceberg tasks are you working on? Sound off in the replies — we read every one!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team