1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: This is the third episode in my five part series unprocrastination, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: a topic we're studying all this week. Today's tip is 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: to do the tough stuff first. If you spend a 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: lot of time on the internet, you'll soon find many 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: quotes attributed to Mark Twain. I spent a year as 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: a fact checker early in my career, and I can 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: tell you almost all these attributions are false. It's pretty 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: clear that Mark Twain did not write that if you 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: eat a live frog first thing in the morning, that 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: will be the worst thing to happen to you all day. 13 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: But one reason we like to repeat this phrase and 14 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: attribute it to a wise man like Mark Twain is 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: that it's a colorful way of pointing out a truth. 16 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: If you need to do something difficult, putting it off 17 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: does and solved the problem. In fact, it makes it 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: worse because the mental anguish expands your suffering. You're much 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: better off getting it over with. Then the rest of 20 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: your day will seem awesome. By contrast, that makes sense, 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: and there's another reason to get tough stuff done early. 22 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: There's some evidence that we have more energy and discipline 23 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: in the morning. One study by researchers associated with the 24 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: Human Performance Institute at Johnson and Johnson found that people 25 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: reported their highest energy levels of the work day right 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: around eight am. You have that first cup of coffee, 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: and you can take on the world. By two pm, 28 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: not so much. The research on decision fatigue, will power, 29 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: and ego depletion is a bit more complicated, but I 30 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: think it's plausible that we possess more fortitude early in 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: the day. If you think about it, diets aren't broken 32 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: with a spoon going straight into the Hagan dahs at 33 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: six am. That's really more of a ten pm sort 34 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: of activity. Likewise, you seldom here of crimes of passion 35 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: occurring at seven am. In general, we work most effectively 36 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: and efficiently by scheduling our most difficult tasks at times 37 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: when we are best prepared to deal with them. Doing 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: something that requires a lot of focus and discipline might 39 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: take an hour at eight am, it might take two 40 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: hours at three pm. When you're tired. Best to do 41 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: the work early and not by yourself a late night. 42 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: So if there is something you've been putting off, think 43 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: about how you might schedule it first thing in the morning, 44 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: and if the task is difficult enough, I'd suggest scheduling 45 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: it for first thing Monday morning, the beginning of the 46 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: day and the beginning of the week. That way, you're 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: really getting it over with, and then when you do, 48 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: reward yourself profusely. Maybe even take the rest of Monday morning, 49 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: or at least you know, an hour or two off. 50 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,119 Speaker 1: I know I've done this. For instance, a few years ago, 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: I was writing an article that required interviewing someone surrounded 52 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: by gatekeepers in an organization that had a reputation for 53 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: being bureaucratic. I was really dreading calling and explaining what 54 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: I wanted and having to go through multiple layers of permission, 55 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: or possibly going through alternate routes if the first was 56 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: too slow. In my mind, this had expanded to a 57 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: huge ordeal. So I gave myself the assignment to call 58 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: the organization first thing Monday morning. I started work with 59 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: all the fortitude I was ever going to muster. At 60 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: nine o two I made my call, and then a 61 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: funny thing happened. The first person I got on the 62 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: phone was happy to help. By nine fifteen, I had 63 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: an appointment scheduled. Sometimes eating a frog turns out to 64 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: be more like eating frog legs, potentially kind of tasty 65 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: in the right context. And yes, I rewarded myself. I 66 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: think I went for a run and then took myself 67 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: out to lunch. When we do the tough stuff first, 68 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: the rest of the day automatically looks better by contrast, 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: and we can even schedule in things to make it 70 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: look better. Do you make a point of doing the 71 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: tough stuff first thing in the day or even first 72 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: thing on Monday. I'd love to hear about it. You 73 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at I heeart 74 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 75 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 76 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 77 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 78 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before 79 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast p 80 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: o D. You can also shoot me an email at 81 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast and I hurt me da dot com 82 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 83 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. I look forward to staying in touch 84 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 85 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 86 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 87 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: favorite shows.