With multiple tasks to complete in a day, you will want to know the best way to prioritize them. One of the most effective ways to stay on task throughout the day is to get the hardest task over with right away. Read on to find the top reasons to start your day off right by doing the hardest task first.
Your Energy Levels Are Highest in the Morning
Morning fatigue is a problem. This is when you feel tired when waking and soon after. However, after a healthy breakfast, your energy levels will tend to be the highest. After lunch, it’s normal to feel a post-lunch dip in energy, and by evening, your body starts producing melatonin, and your body temperature drops, which prepares you for sleep.
Since the most challenging tasks demand the most focus and cognitive skills, you ideally want to tackle them when your energy levels are highest, when you can perform to the best of your ability. Trying to concentrate on a difficult task during the afternoon slump or in the evening can make the task more taxing than it needs to be.
You Don’t Want a Difficult Task to Loom Over You
Often, the hardest task of the day is the one you dread the most. Even if the task is something you’re deeply interested in and passionate about, the nature of it can still feel daunting. To prevent the task looming over you throughout the day, get started on it before you even let your mind worry about the challenge at hand.
To tie this point into the last one, you may especially dread this task if you plan to do it later, given that you are likely to have less energy then.
Completing a Hard Task First Sets a Positive Tone for the Day
Another benefit of starting your day with a hard task is that it will put you in a positive frame of mind. Completing a difficult task involves a stronger sense of accomplishment compared to less difficult ones. It can boost your self confidence, which is likely to carry over when you focus on your other tasks. Moreover, if the task is hard and also mundane, getting it out of the way can put you at ease and make you feel more relaxed for the rest of the day.
The More You Do It, the Easier It Will Become
The final advantage of starting your day with the hardest task is that the more you do it, the more likely it is to become a habit, something that is second nature. When this kind of prioritization becomes an ingrained part of your routine, you will find you have less resistance in carrying it out. In this way, the difficulty of the task will lessen.
If you’re someone who puts off your hardest tasks, causing you to do them as late as possible, try tackling them as soon as you start your day. It will, understandably, feel challenging at first, and you’ll likely encounter some feelings of resistance. But with enough practice, you’ll discover that it makes much more sense to prioritize your tasks in this way.