The PhD Knowledge Base

Kiss the frog

Dr. Max Lempriere

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I can’t imagine too many people would be excited if one of the things on their to do list was to kiss a frog.

Most people would put it off for as long as possible, hoping it would disappear but all the while worrying about having to do it.

Whereas in fact, they’d be better off kissing the frog straight away. That way, the worst is over and it’s plain sailing for the rest of the day.

The lesson here is to tackle the most unpleasant, difficult, anxiety inducing task on your to do list first rather than pushing it further down the road.

By getting it done early you’ll free up the mental energy you would have spent worrying about it and you’ll be better able to focus on the other things you have to do.
So ask yourself what it is you’re putting off and whether you should just get it out of the way and move on.

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