Reward Yourself After Doing the Hardest Work First

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Avoid Procrastinating

We all know it makes sense to do the most important tasks first, even though they’re often the least desirable. I’m referring to tasks like talking to sellers, making offers, or dealing with tough issues.

By doing these hard items first, you know for sure that they will get done. Procrastination is the biggest obstacle we need to overcome in order to complete our important items. Ask any successful business person and they will tell you that one of the largest contributors to their success is their speed of implementation.

Get it Over and Done With

Here is a way to get it done and over with—bribe yourself with a reward when you’re done.

For example, I hate doing my bookkeeping, but in reality it only takes one hour of my time each week. If I start doing it first thing Monday morning it gives me the information I need to create a weekly report where I can track my results. Then, I’m able to plan my week accordingly.

So my reward after I finish my bookkeeping is to go to Borders, kick back and read some interesting books for an hour or so. I don’t feel guilty about taking the time of from work because I finished my undesirable tasks, my life is better and I am actually more productive by doing the most important things first.

You’ll also find that if you get the most important things done first, you could run out of time and it wouldn’t matter much. Something could come up that cuts your workday in half, yet you still got 80% of your work done. In fact, this is what has helped me to take several days off at a time, by spending about 30 minutes each day I’m gone just checking in with my assistant and key contacts and making sure the things that get me 80% of my results take place.

Try This Exercise

Make a list of some things that are very important, but not fun (or even scary). Here are some examples:

1. Talking on the phone to buyers.

2. Talking on the phone to sellers.

3. Placing signs on properties.

4. Making offers on properties

5. Meeting realtors

6. Meeting private lender prospects and taking them to lunch

Time Management

Think about when is the best time to do these things–early in the day, the beginning of the week? Now think of some fun rewards for yourself once you have completed them, such as:

1. Playing your favorite sport such as golf or tennis.

2 . Working out at the gym or attending a day health spa.

3. Eating at your favorite restaurant.

4. Going fishing, boating or scuba diving.

5. Taking a walk along the beach, your favorite park or lake.

6. Going to Starbucks and treating yourself to a mocha-frappe-latte-chino-whatever

So you see how exciting and easy this is?

Do the Math:

20% of your tasks get you 80% of your results. Instead of spending 3 hours doing tasks that get you 20% of your results, spend one hour doing what gets you 80% of your results. Then take an hour off and have fun. Then, if you have the time, work another hour on the less important stuff.

The Challenge:

I challenge each of you to make your own list of undesirable but important tasks–the ones that you cannot or do not outsource to your assistant or someone else on your team.

Plan when you will do them, and then go out and reward yourself with something you enjoy doing. Isn’t that what life is all about working and enjoying the fruits of your labor?

Let me know your most hated or dreaded tasks and what you’ll do to reward yourself for hurrying up and getting them DONE.