If both were on your plate, would you eat the broccoli or the cake first? And why? What’s the logic backing that up? (Or is it the desire for instant gratification? And if so, like, no judgment here 🙂
Speaking in broad strokes, work comes in two flavours: the work we want to do and the work we have to do.
They’re both necessary, but the work we have to do always seems noisier, more insistent. (Taxes, administrative stuff, meetings, email.)
And the work we want to do seems, somehow, indulgent. (Writing out ideas, making SOPs, creating new products/offers/directions.)
With this comes a tendency to do the “have to” work first (eat your broccoli). And to only get to the “want to” work if there’s time (there’s always time for cake, so the analogy fails).
But they’re both important.
So what if we flipped it?
Start the day working on the “want to” projects (with a sensible time limit in place, of course). And then get to the “have to” work later.
It seems negligent, but in actuality, it’s a far better system.
You may be willing to let yourself down. Never getting to that important but not urgent work you like doing. But you’re much less likely to let your clients, colleagues, or the government down.
That “have to” stuff will still get done. But now, some of that “want to” stuff will too.
And that’s how virtuous circles start.
Dessert first,
James
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