PhD Tips: Do the Task You’re Dreading First

One of the best PhD tips I can give you is simple: do the thing you’re dreading first. When you get into the lab or office, it’s very tempting to open your emails, get a coffee or have a chat before you actually start working. Instead, look at your list and find the task that makes you feel the most anxious or uncomfortable. Do that one first. This is essentially the idea behind Eat That Frog: tackle the biggest, most unpleasant task rather than spending the first part of your day avoiding it. If it’s a big task, you don't have to finish it. Spend an hour making a little bit of progress.