Choosing between a frog and chocolate
November's here!
…and I’m back, in your inboxes.
I hope you have had a good week. The clocks fell back this Sunday, giving us all a lovely 1 more hour to sleep (or if you’re more productive than that, 60 minutes more of work). And before you point out that, “Well, you don’t actually get another hour of your life. You lose it in March,”, 🤫
Anyways, how have I spent half term? As I outlined last time, it’s been spent revising an awful lot. The mocks are getting closer. Should I be scared that they’re getting close? Or relieved that we’re nearly there, to be put out of our misery? It’s an interesting one. I’ll probably do a bit more thinking about it, as a ‘thing’ in the next couple of weeks.
Before we get on to the Ray of Wisdom (just made that up), I’d like to mention my highlight of the week which was scurrying down south to Reading yesterday to meet up with one of my mum’s friends and staying with them and their 2 young children overnight. A little lost in the scene, out of place between the parents and the kids (my 12yo sister morphed into a little one), like Theresa May below, I took up the role of babysitter, running around trying to stop those 2 suitcases of energy wreaking havoc. I thought to myself, why not collect all their wasted energy (a reference to Physics Chapter 1 Efficiency. I’m sorry) and save the environment? Imagine.
I had a great deal of difficulty trying to pick out something to talk about this week. My thought process for what I would write about, so far, has been something I’ve learned during the week. But with a largely uneventful week incarcerated at my desk, I wasn’t sure whether to think of something interesting, out of my learnings in the past year.
I’ve decided to tell you to eat the frog. Allow me to explain.
When I’ve gotten to my desk each morning this week and looked at the subjects and topics I’ve wanted to do, the principle I’ve used to prioritise is something taught to me at a very young age, by my mum.
Do the more difficult tasks first. Save the nicer, easier ones for later.
My faint childhood memory wants to say that it was something to do with eating something I hated and my mum telling me to have it first, and then the other thing, whatever it was.
For most of us, we have our most energy, concentration and willpower at the start of the day. Or if you go to school, it’s when you get home, compared to 9pm. So it makes sense to decide which of the items on your to-do list is most important, urgent, the hardest and needs to be done. And then do it. Get that trouble out of the way and then put your feet up.
It might be difficult, because it is hard work, which is as the term suggests, hard. But we trick our minds by comforting it: “If you get this done, you get the ease of simpler tasks later on.” And we can do this because our willpower is strongest at the start of the day.
You can then probably use the 5 Minute Rule to get going and a few minutes, or even hours later, there you are, having successfully got the job at hand done. Well done.
For me, that’s often been English Literature because it’s the one I find the hardest and most boring. So I get it done first, eating the frog, before indulging in some Maths or an easy Biology topic, enjoying the reward of chocolate (or whatever your favourite food is).
If you are really into this idea, I found this from my “Books I want to read” list - Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, Brian Tracy.
Book of the week 📖
Half term and the drives to and from home has meant I’ve been sprinting through Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. It’s a great book, definitely one with lots of useful stuff in it.
Podcast of the week🎙️
The Brendon Show: How to Add Value
A bit like a good essay, all the superb points he made were linked back to how it added value.
Article of the week📰
This cool new tech could hold the secret to solving the climate crisis
As we all hold our breath for the COP26 conference, here’s a few solutions that might bring a smile to your face.
Quote of the week💬
““Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right.” - Henry Ford (legendary quote)
Have a magnificent week (and remember to eat that frog on Monday morning!)
Adi