Put the Emotional Burdens First

If you have a job that gives you a high level of flexibility in choosing which one of your tasks you should prioritize first, choose the one that gives you the most stress.

Schedule your entire day placing higher priority to tasks that are giving the heaviest emotional burden— pressure, guilt, anxiety.

In the name of pain and pleasure principle, the toxic tasks that are yelling for our attention are the ones that we usually put off for later. We usually procrastinate on tasks that are either not fulfilling or draining the soul. We put them off until they become urgent. And when they gain that urgent status, their toxicity seeps into our personal lives.

You will find that tackling them head-on first thing in the morning is really draining. However, being able to finish the most pressing tasks will give you a higher sense of satisfaction that will fuel your momentum as you face the rest of the day. Keep your eyes away from the downer and set your attention to that Dopamine boost.