Do You Really Need to Tackle Your Hardest Task First?

Have you ever thought about when you are most productive? Are you at your best in the morning or are you all fired up after a couple of hours? Does this have to do with whether you’re a morning bird or a night owl? Think about how you tackle your tasks for the day. 

Having a morning routine is useful for morning people and those that need a bit of time to get going. You create a chain of habits that help you start the day on a positive note. And when you plan your day before it starts, it can only go uphill. 

I bet you have read about “eating the frog” first thing in the morning. Doing your hardest task of the day first. But is that the right approach for you?

You have also heard of procrastination, right? Getting started can be really hard, especially when your first task is a hard one. 

Being a morning person

You probably think that when you are a morning person, you are all fired up early on to get to work. You would think that a morning person would handle the difficult tasks first. But that is not always the case.

Take me, for example. I am definitely a morning person. I wake up at 6 am, and I go through my morning routine effortlessly. I do the things that need to be done without any problems and without being grumpy. But by the time it is 2,5 hours later, I need a little break. So I take a cup of flavored tea before my workday begins. 

After that, I get to work, and I start the day with an easy task. Somehow the “eating the frog” first approach isn’t for me, although I’m a morning person. I like to ease into my day and first handle a bunch of smaller tasks, like maybe some household work. During those, I can already think about the harder task of the day. Because I do have one harder task. Yes, usually only one. 

Procrastinating or not?

Some people say putting off your harder tasks is procrastination. What is procrastination? According to the Dictionary, to procrastinate means: “to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it”. But if you are getting ready to tackle your harder tasks for a later time during the day, technically you are not procrastinating, right? 

However, be also aware that you are not putting things off to tomorrow what needs to be tackled today. There needs to be a time during the day that you have to handle the harder, difficult task. Cause the danger is you won’t tackle the harder tasks at all. 

Doing the hardest task first

There are good arguments about doing your hardest job first. Having tackled the hardest task in the morning, you free up your day for the easier things. You can relax a bit, knowing the biggest job is done. But this can also make you a bit sloppy and inattentive toward the rest of your tasks. The hardest task is done, right? So you can “just relax a bit now”. 

A stumbling block with doing the harder tasks first is, it could be hard to get started. You could be nervous or intimidated by the amount of work the harder and possibly bigger tasks include. Maybe you need to bite the bullet and push through somewhat. 

Some people do the hardest tasks first, just to get it off their plate. Get it over and done with. That could give you the boost of energy and confidence you need to get started. 

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Tackling the easier tasks first

It could be you need to ease into your work. Especially if you are not a morning person and maybe need a cup of coffee first to wake up. Or like me, a genuine morning person, you have an intense morning routine to start your day. 

When you have a lot to do on a given day, you could become calmer when you already have a few easier tasks handled and done with. I like to check off the smaller tasks on a big to-do list early on, so I have the energy and headspace to start my bigger job for the day. 

But do plan for your bigger task. Don’t procrastinate and put off your harder task until tomorrow. You will only regret it at the end of the day. The task only becomes bigger and more difficult in your mind. There comes a time you need to “eat that frog”!

A few things to think about

What is your personality? How do you work? Do you get energy when you have tackled the hardest tasks? Or do you need to ease into the harder tasks by working toward them and doing something easier first? 

In the end, what makes you most productive?

Other posts you might enjoy:

• Habits To Start The Day Positively
• 9 Tips How To Plan a Successful Day
• 7 Things You Can Do In The Evening That Helps Your Morning