Do the Hard Things First
Choosing to do the hard things first, makes the rest of your day a breeze. It’s such a simple rule, but it’s so rewarding.
The hard things can be anything that isn’t inherently enjoyable. Maybe it’s working on that project that isn’t engaging or energizing for you, or resolving that conflict that has been bugging you for too long. Or maybe it’s just your inbox and the hundreds of unfinished tasks and emails you’ve been putting off.
I promise, if you choose to do the hard things first, it will change your life – and maybe even more importantly, it will improve your work. That is, if you can reliably do the hard things first then I guarantee your work is going to be better.
I’ve been experimenting with this principle for a while now, and I used to have a list of my must-do items along with a daily checklist.
If you can reliably do the hard things first, you will find that you are much more successful. You will also be happier since you won’t have to stress about those hard things as much as you would otherwise.
Consider These Ideas:
Most of us are more focused earlier in the day. It is easier to do challenging things when you are fresh. You are more effective at 9 AM than you are at 3 PM. Attack the hard thing at the beginning of the day. It will only be more challenging later in the day.
You can invest more time in the hard thing. If you postpone the hard thing, you may not have enough time to finish it. Since the hard thing is often the most important item, you should invest enough time in it to see it through.
You will be able to enjoy the rest of your day. If you have something unpleasant hanging over your head all day, you just can’t enjoy the day as much. Get the problematic thing off of your plate, so that you can enjoy the remainder of your day.
“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” - Mark Twain
It helps build self-esteem and boost confidence. Everyone else shies away from the hard things. Be the person who steps up to the plate. You will feel great about yourself and know that you can tackle anything that needs to be done.
Your potential increases greatly when you can reliably get yourself to do unenjoyable tasks.
You will be able to flourish in your career. When you are known as the person who can do the hard thing, you will be highly respected and considered reliable. Most people give excuses for why they can’t complete the hard task.
The best way to avoid thinking about your hard thing is to get started on it without spending too much time thinking about it. To manage your frog, simply start with it. Don’t wait long before doing so. The more you stare at the frog, the bigger and uglier the frog becomes.
Block off time in your calendar to tackle the “frog”. The night before, determine what tasks are needed to complete the task. Schedule it as early in the day as possible. When the time comes, attack that task with everything you’ve got.
In our personal and professional lives, there will always be hard things. There are even hard things that provide little value but we still have to get them done. The bottom line, it is best to get the hard thing done as soon as possible.
If the undesirable task is of high value, it deserves to be completed first. If the undesirable task is low-value, just get it out of the way as quickly as you can.