"Boiling the ocean" is an idiomatic phrase that can have a few related meanings. One is that it is obviously impossible to boil all of the water in the ocean, so it can refer to an impossible task — something so complicated it’s hard to know where to begin. Another definition is used in business and tends to relate to projects that are hugely complex, perhaps overly so. The idea of boiling the whole ocean means that someone is concerned with a minutia of fine details. This may mean that someone is being thorough or it could mean that he has made something so complex he can never accomplish his goals.
There are few potential origins of this phrase. One is typically credited to Will Rogers who, when asked how the US should handle the problem of German U-boats during World War I, recommended that the ocean be boiled. A reporter asking the question supposedly followed up by inquiring how this could be done, to which Rogers replied: “I’m just the idea man.” Others attribute the phrase to Mark Twain.
Some people, when they have ideas, may be warned not to boil the ocean, which makes a good deal of sense. It can be applied to lots of situations in business and personal life. When someone has something he wants to accomplish, it's often best to reduce the steps it takes to accomplish it rather than to keep adding on extra details. It’s also possible that, if someone does too much or plans for too many contingencies, he can never see his idea or concept come to fruition.
There are many incredibly complex situations that require tons of thought and planning, however, and they may seem impossible. It can help to look at the necessary steps to resolve a situation or to create a solution, and see if there’s any chance of eliminating certain steps and still reaching a goal. Some people get understandably too immersed in total solutions to appreciate the small steps that represent small victories.
Occasionally, people will see kids practice their own interpretation of boiling the ocean. When a child looks at a hard task, he may be so caught up with planning that he can never get started. This is especially the case for kids with certain disabilities, like non-verbal learning disorder. Getting homework started, especially written homework, is challenging since a person with this disorder is attempting to solve for every contingency before writing a word.
