1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. This 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: is the third episode in my five part series on procrastination, 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: a topic we're studying all this week. Today's tip is 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 1: to do the tough stuff first. If you spend a 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: lot of time on the internet, you'll soon find many 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: quotes attributed to Mark Twain. I spent a year as 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: a fact checker early in my career, and I can 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: tell you almost all these attributions are false. It's pretty 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: clear that Mark Twain did not write that if you 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: eat a live frog first thing in the morning, that 12 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: will be the worst thing to happen to you all day. 13 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: But one reason we like to repeat this phrase and 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: attribute it to a wise man like Mark Twain is 15 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: that it's a colorful way of pointing out a truth. 16 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: If you need to do something difficult, putting it off 17 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: does doesn't solve the problem. In fact, it makes it 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: worse because the mental anguish expands your suffering. You're much 19 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: better off getting it over with. Then the rest of 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: your day will seem awesome. By contrast, that makes sense, 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: and there's another reason to get tough stuff done early. 22 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: There's some evidence that we have more energy and discipline 23 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: in the morning. One study by researchers associated with the 24 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: Human Performance Institute at Johnson and Johnson found that people 25 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: reported their highest energy levels of the workday right around 26 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: eight am. You have that first cup of coffee, and 27 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: you can take on the world. By two pm, not 28 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: so much. The research on decision fatigue, will power, and 29 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: ego depletion is a bit more complicated, but I think 30 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: it's plausible that we possess more fortitude early in the day. 31 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: If you think about it, diets aren't broken with a 32 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: spoon going straight into the hagendaws at six am. That's 33 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: really more of a ten pm sort of activity. Likewise, 34 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: you seldom hear of crimes of passion occurring at seven am. 35 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: In general, we work most effectively and efficiently by scheduling 36 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: our most difficult tasks at times when we are best 37 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: prepared to deal with them. Doing something that requires a 38 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: lot of focus and discipline might take an hour at 39 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: eight am, it might take two hours at three pm. 40 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: When you're tired. Best to do the work early and 41 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: not by yourself a late night. So if there is 42 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: something you've been putting off. Think about how you might 43 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: schedule it first thing in the morning, and if the 44 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: task is difficult enough, I'd suggest scheduling it for first 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: thing Monday morning, the beginning of the day and the 46 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: beginning of the week. That way, you're really getting it 47 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: over with, and then when you do, reward yourself profusely. 48 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: Maybe even take the rest of Monday morning or at 49 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: least an hour or two off. I know I've done this. 50 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: For instance, a few years ago, I was writing an 51 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: article that required interviewing someone surrounded by gatekeepers in an 52 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: organization that had a reputation for being bureaucratic. I was 53 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: really dreading calling and explaining what I wanted and having 54 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: to go through multiple layers of permission, or possibly going 55 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: through alternate routes if the first was too slow. In 56 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: my mind, this had expanded to a huge ordeal. So 57 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: I gave myself the assignment to call the organization first 58 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: thing Monday morning. I started work with all the fortitude 59 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: I was ever going to muster. At nine oh two, 60 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: I made my call, and then a funny thing happened. 61 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: The first person I got on the phone was happy 62 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: to help. By nine point fifteen, I had an appointment scheduled. 63 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: Sometimes eating a frog turns out to be more like 64 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: eating frog legs, potentially kind of tasty in the right context. 65 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: And yes, I rewarded myself. I think I went for 66 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: a run and then took myself out to lunch. When 67 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: we do the tough stuff first, the rest of the 68 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 1: day automatically looks better by contrast, and we can even 69 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: schedule in things to make it look better. Do you 70 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: make a point of doing the tough stuff first thing 71 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: in the day or even first thing on Monday. I'd 72 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: love to hear about it. You can email me at 73 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. In the meantime, 74 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 75 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 76 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 77 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 78 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 79 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me 80 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iheartm That Before 81 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. 82 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 1: Should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 83 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 84 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 85 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.