WEBVTT - Do the tough stuff first 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:06.600 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 0:00:09.000 --> 0:00:13.200 Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:17.840 This is the third episode in my five part series unprocrastination, 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:22.239 a topic we're studying all this week. Today's tip is 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:26.560 to do the tough stuff first. If you spend a 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:29.360 lot of time on the internet, you'll soon find many 0:00:29.440 --> 0:00:32.839 quotes attributed to Mark Twain. I spent a year as 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:35.160 a fact checker early in my career, and I can 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:39.760 tell you almost all these attributions are false. It's pretty 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.800 clear that Mark Twain did not write that if you 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:44.159 eat a live frog first thing in the morning, that 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:46.000 will be the worst thing to happen to you all day. 0:00:46.960 --> 0:00:49.720 But one reason we like to repeat this phrase and 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.680 attribute it to a wise man like Mark Twain is 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:54.840 that it's a colorful way of pointing out a truth. 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:59.040 If you need to do something difficult, putting it off 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:03.400 does and solved the problem. In fact, it makes it 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:08.759 worse because the mental anguish expands your suffering. You're much 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.399 better off getting it over with. Then the rest of 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:15.520 your day will seem awesome. By contrast, that makes sense, 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:17.880 and there's another reason to get tough stuff done early. 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.560 There's some evidence that we have more energy and discipline 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:25.160 in the morning. One study by researchers associated with the 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:28.880 Human Performance Institute at Johnson and Johnson found that people 0:01:28.920 --> 0:01:32.320 reported their highest energy levels of the work day right 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:35.920 around eight am. You have that first cup of coffee, 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.440 and you can take on the world. By two pm, 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:45.080 not so much. The research on decision fatigue, will power, 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:47.960 and ego depletion is a bit more complicated, but I 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.800 think it's plausible that we possess more fortitude early in 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:54.400 the day. If you think about it, diets aren't broken 0:01:54.600 --> 0:01:57.160 with a spoon going straight into the Hagan dahs at 0:01:57.160 --> 0:02:00.760 six am. That's really more of a ten pm sort 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:05.320 of activity. Likewise, you seldom here of crimes of passion 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:09.880 occurring at seven am. In general, we work most effectively 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:14.840 and efficiently by scheduling our most difficult tasks at times 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:18.160 when we are best prepared to deal with them. Doing 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:21.560 something that requires a lot of focus and discipline might 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.720 take an hour at eight am, it might take two 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:28.160 hours at three pm. When you're tired. Best to do 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:30.840 the work early and not by yourself a late night. 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.679 So if there is something you've been putting off, think 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.760 about how you might schedule it first thing in the morning, 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:42.079 and if the task is difficult enough, I'd suggest scheduling 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:45.400 it for first thing Monday morning, the beginning of the 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:49.000 day and the beginning of the week. That way, you're 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.639 really getting it over with, and then when you do, 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.840 reward yourself profusely. Maybe even take the rest of Monday morning, 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.040 or at least you know, an hour or two off. 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:03.119 I know I've done this. For instance, a few years ago, 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:06.360 I was writing an article that required interviewing someone surrounded 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:09.640 by gatekeepers in an organization that had a reputation for 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:13.960 being bureaucratic. I was really dreading calling and explaining what 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:17.079 I wanted and having to go through multiple layers of permission, 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.760 or possibly going through alternate routes if the first was 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.920 too slow. In my mind, this had expanded to a 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:27.079 huge ordeal. So I gave myself the assignment to call 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:32.680 the organization first thing Monday morning. I started work with 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:35.840 all the fortitude I was ever going to muster. At 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:40.080 nine o two I made my call, and then a 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.080 funny thing happened. The first person I got on the 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.480 phone was happy to help. By nine fifteen, I had 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:50.800 an appointment scheduled. Sometimes eating a frog turns out to 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:54.320 be more like eating frog legs, potentially kind of tasty 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:59.200 in the right context. And yes, I rewarded myself. I 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:01.200 think I went for a run and then took myself 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.080 out to lunch. When we do the tough stuff first, 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.440 the rest of the day automatically looks better by contrast, 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.000 and we can even schedule in things to make it 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:12.040 look better. Do you make a point of doing the 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:14.920 tough stuff first thing in the day or even first 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:19.279 thing on Monday. I'd love to hear about it. You 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:23.440 can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at I heeart 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:28.159 media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.719 for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:41.320 Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.800 send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:48.760 connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:54.280 Breakfast Pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast p 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.240 o D. You can also shoot me an email at 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:00.919 Before Breakfast podcast and I hurt me da dot com 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.440 That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:06.120 Thanks so much. I look forward to staying in touch 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:15.040 Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:18.200 more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.640 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:22.360 favorite shows.