Day Ten: Doing the Hard Tasks 1st

Sometimes even a Type-A like me succumbs to procrastination. The way I have learned to combat this problem is to tackle the most dreaded item on my to-do list first.

Why tackle the hard stuff 1^st?

1. Often times I blow things up in my head to epic proportions and discover that once I get started on something that seemed formidable it is actually not bad at all.

2. It builds encouragement. If I can tackle the item I dreaded, it often builds momentum to tackle a bunch of little items.

3. It makes rearranging my schedule easier if the harder task takes longer than I expected. I find it’s easier to rearrange a few smaller tasks than it is to reschedule something that I have been avoiding or something I already built up as difficult in my own head.

4. Buying peace of mind. I will worry for a few days about something unnecessarily. Doing the dreaded hard stuff first buys me peace of mind. It allows me to sleep a little easier and breathe a little easier because there is no self-imposed monkey on my back.

If your difficult item is going to take more than a day, then I would also suggest dedicating a bigger chunk of time to it over the course of a few days, with a smaller easier task scheduled after the harder task. Think of the easier task as your “reward.” The goal is to move past procrastination and build momentum for all of the other little items you have calling for your attention.

When this method fails, which admittedly sometimes it does, I call on God for strength and grace and then I set an egg timer. (More on that tomorrow!)

To Read 31 Days of Dream. Plan. Do. from the beginning click here.