Have you heard this Chris?
People often advise doing difficult activities first, but wouldn’t you agree that doing simple tasks first might make difficult ones easier?
Signed,
Where’s the easy button
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You know what, easy button, I HAVE heard that!
It goes along with this interesting, oft-told story about how to fill a glass pitcher or vase with rocks, sand, pebbles so that they all fit and without them spilling over. The first thing is to put in the rocks…hardest, largest of the items. Then the pebbles, leaving the sand to fill in the cracks.
Well that may work superbly for a pitcher or vase, but what does that have to do with you and your difficult activities?
Here’s what I think…
It truly depends on how YOU “get things done” in your world.
It may be easier to do the hard, difficult first if that frees you up to do the easy later.
It’s kind of how I like to attack a plate of food.
My mother would always say, eat the thing you least like first and then you’ll enjoy eating the rest. So, down went my veggies (today I’ll eat veggies alone for lunch!). Then I would eat the chicken, steak, pork chop, whatever was yummy…you see where I’m going.
So I’m sort of “trained” to do the hard thing first.
However…
When it comes to some projects, I will ABSOLUTELY start with the easiest. It helps me to build momentum and it gives me energy to complete the next step. It’s also helpful when I don’t have all the pieces to complete a project.
In other projects, I start with the hardest part first, because it will force me to build an outline of what’s to be accomplished and usually I can take an early “win” for uncovering something. This makes me feel good enough to keep going.
It may sound a bit like I’m waffling here, where’s the easy button, but it truly does depend on you and the situation.
Ultimately, what you want to choose is the path of least resistance.
If it’s easier to hit the hard thing and take the “win,” then hit it and hit it hard.
If it’s better to knock out the easy stuff first and feel a sense of accomplishment that energizes you to do more… then that’s your path.
Life is not about absolutes, where’s the easy button.
But it is about finding what works for you, so that it can love you while you do you, boo…smile
~ Let life love you!
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