Do the Hard Things First: How to Win Over Procrastination and Master the Habit of Doing Difficult Work (Do the Hard Things First Series Book 1)

by Scott Allan

Procrastination (which I refer to as task avoidance addiction) reduces your energy when all the incomplete tasks pile up in your head. In a mad shuffle to finish tasks at the last minute, you end up failing to do anything worthy of quality. Remember, if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing to the best of your ability.

Your only focus should be on making yourself better today than you were yesterday.

Do it in small doses. We have a higher risk of putting something off if we see it as a big task. Remember the mountain scenario? You can only get to the top by advancing one step at a time.

Momentum begins with the first step

“Get comfortable with change. Create new habits to support your goals. That’s how you break fear.

“I am great. I am fearless. I am courageou

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." — Thomas Jefferson

I would rather start over one hundred times than never have started anything at all.

things down can help our brains prioritize that which we should focus and act on at any given moment.

You will have a better chance of recalling your hard things to do tasks by writing them out.

Writing things down makes your mind more efficient by helping you focus on the truly important stuff.

— Will Durant Scheduling your simple task for five minutes is the simplest strategy to start working on a task right away.

The resistance doesn’t come from doing the task but from thinking about doing the task.

“We always attract into our lives whatever we think about most, believe in most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly

Athletes who commit to visualizing themselves succeeding will mentally create success in their mind first.

You don’t have to be an athlete to visualize

“The practice has even given some high achievers what seems like super-powers, helping them create their dream lives by accomplishing one goal or task at a time with hyper focus and complete confidence. Elite athletes use it. The super-rich use it. And peak performers in all fields now use it. That power is called visualization

Thinking is powerful. Putting yourself in a situation through visual rehearsal is building the process before you do anything physical.

Your brain doesn’t recognize the difference between what is happening in your imagination and the physical act of doing it.

Breath in deeply. Practice the breathing habit as you work. When you’re walking. Driving the car. In moments of stress.

Small actions compounded over time lead to big wins.

Your goal is progress, and not perfection.

Small actions taken consistently over many years.

This is what success is

“The best way to stop a bad habit is to never begin it.”