Do the hardest thing first

By Maria Murphy

We all know what this means.  Do the thing we most want to avoid first.  If I had a dollar for every time I avoided the hardest thing, I would be living in a fabulous beach front home this very moment.  But, alas, doing the hardest thing first is easier said then done.  There are some benefits to giving it a go, though.

Why do the hardest thing first?

The hardest thing takes up rental space in our heads.  It taxes us and wears us down. We want to avoid it because it is such a challenge.  But avoiding it costs us plenty.  Added stress.  That knot in the stomach that just sits there.  Preoccupation while we are doing other things. Berating comments we toss at ourselves while we are busy postponing.  Which brings me to another point.  Postponing the hardest thing is just another way to procrastinate.  A very bad habit.  One I know all too well. Holding off on doing the hardest thing only serves to weigh us down.

And how does this relate to mentoring?

Kids are quick studies.  We know that a habit of doing the” hardest thing first” gives us strength, reduces stress and even increases confidence.  Lets face it, we all feel better when we do the right thing.  But could a mentor teach a student the habit of doing the “hardest thing first?”  Well, yes, most definitely.  What if we mentors said to our students, “Okay, what is the hardest thing you have to do today?”  And then we followed that with, “Let’s do it.  Let’s do it first and get it out of the way.  I’ll help you and we will just knock it off. Trust me.  Everything will be easy after that.”  What if we mentors practiced doing the hardest thing, so we were prepared to teach it?  What would it feel like to teach our kids about the power of heading things off, of avoiding procrastination, of taking care of business?  Well, we all know the answer.  Great.

Try it.  Practice doing the hardest thing first.  Teach your student how to do the hardest thing.  Remind them when they are done how good it feels to do the hardest thing first.  How great.  A slight shift in how we live and how we work with our students can help them shape a powerful life tool that can give them confidence and strength.  Fantastic!

Good luck and remember to believe in the power of your every contribution.

Please feel free to go to: Tutor/Mentor Connection at Ning to discuss this article.

Maria Murphy writes a monthly Tutor/Mentor Coaching Tip for this site and has been a presenter for Cabrini Connection’s Tutor/Mentor Conference. She is a speaker, consultant and writer. Other articles can be found on her Mentoring Simply Put blog or her website Simply Put Together.