Start With The Ugly Frog
Why the hardest step sets the tone for your whole day.
Intro
Some days, I know as soon as I get up that something is waiting for me. It’s already there during my morning routine: that one task, often called the ugly frog. It’s the task that has been at the top of my to-do list for days but on my don’t-want-to-do list just as long. I feel it while I’m getting ready, on my way to work, and as I start to tackle the first things on my list. I used to put this task off until the end of the day. I thought I would start with something simple to “warm up”, and then quickly finish that one task. But, the longer I avoided it, the more space it took. It stared at me from the background, followed me around, and constantly demanded my attention. In the end, I left the task undone, mostly because I felt overwhelmed.
What Science Says
For a long time, I believed that you should start with easy tasks to build momentum for the unpleasant and difficult ones. However, research shows the opposite. A 2020 study found that people who started the day with easy tasks rate their own self-efficacy lower than those who start with the most difficult ones. Participants who were asked to start with the most difficult task also felt more capable, clearheaded, and organized as the day progressed. In addition, a 2019 study found that dopamine is primarily released in response to future rewards, rather than anticipated effort. Therefore, dopamine is a result of success, which is usually felt when we overcome challenges, not when we do something easy. Completing difficult tasks early on takes advantage of this mechanism.
In this context, I also found the results of a 2019 study interesting. According to this study, unfinished tasks continuously tie up cognitive resources, which impair the flow experience and well-being. Unfinished tasks do not disappear from our minds just because we ignore them. The brain keeps them active as incomplete loops. A 1998 study provides a complementary perspective on this. Its findings describe self-control and decision-making as costly. Each unnecessary delay in making a decision uses the resources that would be needed for focus and clarity.
Small Change
Armed with this knowledge, it’s easy to name a small but meaningful change: Start the day with the most unpleasant task – not with the easiest, the most visible, or the most consequential one. Begin with the task that generates the most resistance. Every morning, I reserve a clear block of time for such task. When the time comes, I don’t let it wait; I tackle it right away, without preparation or warming up. Afterward, all that remains is order and mental calm. The day feels easier, not because there is less to do, but because nothing unpleasant is lurking in the background anymore.
Compounding Effect
Completing my tasks this way has changed my daily routine for the better. I always leave the office on time – especially since I finished that one task that used to hold me up. This task has also lost its paralyzing effect, and my day has gained more structure and clarity. According to behavioral research, this approach fosters emotional resilience because resistance is not avoided, but rather, it’s acknowledged and managed. This approach also sharpens one’s ability to prioritize, because the day is no longer determined by reactivity, but by conscious decision-making.
Let’s try it!
When I am absorbed in a particular task, I make it my first priority. The rest of the day falls into place almost automatically. Those who start the day with lots of small decisions use the resources they need for their most important tasks. I prefer to „eat the ugly frog“.
If you don’t feel like getting your tasks done, you can learn here how just 120 seconds can help you overcome your hesitation and make you more productive.
For a deeper insight:
Walton, M. E., & Bouret, S. (2019). What is the relationship between dopamine and effort?
Baumeister, R. F. et al. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource?
Tracy, B. (2001). Eat That Frog.
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