DO THE BIG TASK FIRST
Everybody wants to be more productive. We all want to check more things off our list and feel like we’re accomplishing important things. If we all have the same amount of time in the day, what makes some people more productive than others?
One thing that might be holding you back is a need to make sure everything is in its place, and all your little administrative tasks are finished before diving into anything big. Responding to emails and tidying your desk feel productive but help less than you think. You’re not alone, though. It’s a super common practice, and it eats up time like nobody’s business.
It just makes so much sense to tackle the quick little things first. It means more checks in boxes and fewer things on our list. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Imagine your job/dream/goal is to write a book. You get x-many hours a day to do that. If you start your work-time by answering emails, organizing your post-its, or checking your Facebook page stats, you might look up and find you only have about twenty minutes left. The big ticket item you set out to accomplish gets pushed to tomorrow, then the next day, then again.
Now imagine you have the same amount of time, but you start by writing that book. You get to dig in and love what you’re doing, all the while knowing you’re accomplishing your dream. When you feel satisfied, you can use the rest of the time ticking off the little things and whatever doesn’t get done gets pushed to the next day, but that’s ok since these tasks are generally a bit more flexible.
Tackling your biggest task or goal first guarantees you get the time you need to finish or at least make some progress. Saving your biggest item until the end makes it too easy to get tossed aside in exchange for menial shit.
Start every day with a list of what you’re going to accomplish that day. You should be proud of yourself every day, so put at least one thing on there that when finished, you can say, “Hell yeah. I did that.” Then, when you sit down to check off that list, start with that one.
