“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”
― Dale Carnegie

First off, the title is a bit of an exaggeration. This technique won’t always get you more done in less time, but it will help you get more important work done sooner.

Let’s get straight to the secret: Do the tough stuff first.

Think about it. If you’re running a marathon, do you want to deal with difficult terrain at the beginning or the end of the race?

If you knock the hard stuff out at the beginning, it’s smooth sailing down the stretch. You don’t have the weight of a big task hanging over your head, stressing you out, and decreasing your effectiveness on the easier tasks.

Besides, your confidence gets a nice boost when you complete challenging tasks. You approach every subsequent task with a sense of invincibility. You know you can take on the world because you just did.

So, should you put ten super difficult tasks at the top of your to-do list?

No.

First of all, make sure this task is important. If it’s not, cross it off the list now. Don’t waste energy on stuff that doesn’t move the needle.

Second, try to break the big tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks. I recommend limiting task sizes to about an hour, two max.

Now, pick just one big item. Make it the one you don’t want to do. Make it the one you’ve put off for days or weeks. Make it the one that’s holding you back and keeping you from progressing toward your major goals.

They didn’t build Rome in a day, and you don’t have to overcome every challenge in a day, either. Get a big one done today; tackle another big one tomorrow.

Finally, make sure you reward yourself for completing each difficult task. You want your brain to get that nice dopamine hit when you do the big, scary, important work. So, binge on a couple of YouTube videos, or take a break and relax. Maybe even eat a little dark chocolate. Train your brain to enjoy finishing the big things.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get stuff done!

“Just like we couldn’t imagine a cell phone smaller than a toaster in the 1970s, some companies still believe that they can’t get great performance from their employees unless they show up at an office.”
― Pamela Slim

Why do some employers object to remote work? Are all these employers stupid? No. Are they old-fashioned? Maybe. Are the naysayers right? That’s the question.

Now, of course, not every job can be 100% remote. My plumber has a hard time unclogging my toilet remote. When I call the paramedics, I prefer them to show up on-site. The United States Marines didn’t fight at Guadalcanal over Zoom.

Ridiculous examples out of the way, we can now go through objections for the cases where remote work is possible.

Objection: Remote work is not productive.
Answer: Meaningful work requires quality stretches of uninterrupted focus. That’s hard to find in an office. When you control your environment, you gain more control over your outcomes. Remote workers can work where they’re most focused and productive. The data backs this up too.

Objection: There are too many distractions at home.
Answer: In the office, they need to worry about impromptu meetings, interrupting coworkers and bosses, unscheduled introductions, and more. There are distractions at home, but remote workers have more control over their environment and can adjust. That’s a big part of the productivity boost most remote employees experience.

Objection: Remote work is isolating.
Answer: Office jobs can be isolating. Employees often spend most of their time working alone in cubicles. They’re typically surrounded by negativity in the form of office gossip or complaining. For many people, especially those with disabilities, introverts, or people with a different cultural background, working in an office pushes them to the outside.

Objection: Remote work is tough to manage.
Answer: Human beings are tough to manage. The reality is people watch YouTube videos or scroll through Twitter or play games for hours in the office. How do you manage that? I start by trusting my people to act like responsible adults and quit babysitting them. If you can’t trust an employee, you have a different problem.

Objection: There’s no accountability for remote workers.
Answer: Is there accountability for office workers? If accountability means more than attendance and means results, then everyone is held to the same standard. In fact, remote work can increase accountability as it forces employees to take ownership of their work.

Objection: Remote work is not fair to in-office workers.
Answer: The easy answer is to let everyone work from anywhere if and when possible. Otherwise, it’s like saying that allowing the quarterback to throw the ball is unfair to the other players. On a team, everyone has a role, and as a leader, your job is to put each of them in the best place for success. That’s fair.

Objection: Remote work is not secure.
Answer: Are you dealing with nuclear secrets? If not, you already have the tools and technology to stay secure. Enforce some best practices like auto-locking, whole-disk encryption, and two-factor authentication, and you’ll be okay. Besides, if you’ve ever allowed an employee to take their laptop to an out-of-town conference, you likely exposed your data to much greater risk.

Objection: People communicate better in an office.
Answer: We have the technology to communicate through video conferencing, audio calls, and chat. Most communication isn’t urgent and can be written as an email or, even better, posted to a corporate wiki. In an office, quick chats become significant disruptions. Remote teams are naturally encouraged to be thoughtful and deliberate when they communicate.

Objection: You can’t have a strong company culture with remote employees.
Answer: A strong company culture starts with shared values and goals. You don’t need to be in the same place to achieve that, but you do need to give people trust and autonomy. Good company cultures are built by good teams.

Objection: People don’t mind working in an office environment.
Answer: Some people don’t mind some of the time. Most people just mind the commute, the lack of flexibility, the repetitiveness, the distractions, the poor work-life balance, the lack of autonomy, the boredom, the unhealthy environment, and the poor management.

“All I want to know is Christ and the power flowing from His Resurrection!”
― Francis of Assisi

May all who read this experience a holy Good Friday and a blessed Easter!

“That’s the great irony of letting passionate people work from home. A manager’s natural instinct is to worry about his workers not getting enough work done, but the real threat is that too much will likely get done.”
― Jason Fried

Contrary to what some poor managers believe, remote employees might be your best team players.

🔥They value teamwork and collaboration because they consciously work for it.

🔥They value thoughtful and clear communication because it’s critical to their success.

🔥They value results because they want to be judged by more than mere attendance.

🔥They value leadership because they have to be self-leaders.

🔥They value culture and respect because they care about their own time and effort and that of their teammates.

Remote employees don’t break the team. They build it, nurture it, lead it, and protect it.

“A true leader is one who is humble enough to admit their mistakes.”
― John C. Maxwell

As a leader, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to be someone you’re not. You might think projecting a certain image or personality will make others respect you more.

But here’s the thing: authenticity is a great strength for a leader. When you’re authentic, people sense it. They trust you more because they know you’re being genuine. It allows you to connect with others on a deeper level. Authenticity isn’t about being perfect, either. In fact, it’s often the flaws and vulnerabilities that make us more relatable and approachable.

So, how do you develop authenticity in your leadership style?

• Recognize and accept your strengths and weaknesses, and be honest about them with yourself and others.
• Don’t try to hide mistakes or challenges. Acknowledge them openly and transparently.
• Admit when you don’t have all the answers or when something is difficult for you.
• Align your actions with what you believe in, even when it’s not the most popular decision.

When you embrace authenticity in your leadership style, not only will others trust and follow you more, but you’ll also find greater satisfaction and fulfillment.

“A prudent question is one half of wisdom.”
― Francis Bacon

Most people believe leaders should have all the answers.

BUT…

The best leaders know how to ask all the right questions.

Good questions help us gain insight, challenge our assumptions, and make informed decisions.

Good questions encourage others to open up and share their opinions and insights.

Good questions lead to good results.

“Don’t just make money, make a difference.”
― Grant Cardone

Too many people feel inadequate or insecure because of how much money they make or how much wealth they’ve acquired. It’s easy to get sucked into that destructive place.

But this habit of measuring your self-worth by financial status is based on lies. In fact:

• Money is not a measure of your value as a person.
• Money is not a guarantee of happiness or fulfillment.
• Money is not a fair or accurate comparison.

So stop comparing based on other people’s money and start appreciating what you have. Change your focus:

• Focus on gratitude.
• Focus on growth.
• Focus on contribution.

Remember: money can never define who you are or what you can do in life.

“Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more.”
― Simon Sinek

Do a little more.

Improve your skills a little more. Move a little closer to your goals. Go a little faster. Run a little further. Work a little harder. Study a little longer. Write a little more.

Do a little more today than you did yesterday.

You don’t get to the top of the mountain in a single leap. You ascend the mountain step by step. So do a little more, and don’t stop.

“What if I told you there was a work approach that allowed you to have fewer meetings, solved your time zone issues, and allowed you to get more done uninterrupted? This is the magic of asynchronous work.”
― Marissa Goldberg

Asynchronous work is starting to catch on in more and more businesses. It complements remote work beautifully, and it’s the natural next step. These are just a few of the benefits async workers are already experiencing:

Increased Productivity

Async work allows employees to work during their most productive hours, which don’t always align with traditional working hours. This leads to higher quality work and increased productivity, since employees work when they’re most energized and focused.

Improved Work-Life Balance

Asynchronous work enables employees to balance their work and personal lives. Subtle exta benefit: An async workplace allows you to hire from a larger talent pool.

Enhanced Collaboration

Contrary to popular belief, asynchronous work often enhances collaboration. Async tools like Slack, Basecamp, or even good old email, employees can communicate more thoughtfully and effectively. In turn, this improves teamwork and decision-making.

“Technology now allows people to connect anytime, anywhere, to anyone in the world, from almost any device. This is dramatically changing the way people work, facilitating 24/7 collaboration with colleagues who are dispersed across time zones, countries and continents.”
― Michael Dell

I keep hearing about more and more companies requiring their employees to return to the office. Oh, it’s not because of any performance reason. It’s because somebody got the idea their building looks too empty. Or perhaps they feel like they’re wasting an elaborate space they used to brag about to their friends. Maybe they don’t feel comfortable running a distributed team. Perhaps they don’t trust their people.

Whatever the reason, if you force people to work in an office when they could work from anywhere, you’re bound to run into downsides.

Here are the seven biggest negatives of forcing your people to come into the office:

1. Missing out on top talent. If you’re not hiring remote workers, you’ll miss out on top talent. There are great people who can’t or won’t work in an office.
2. Higher attrition. People who are not given the freedom to work when and where they are most productive are more likely to look for a job elsewhere.
3. Lost productivity. Long commutes, distractions, and office politics all add up to less effective employees.
4. Poor morale. When people feel their employer doesn’t trust them morale plummets.
5. Increased stress. Limiting time and location flexibility increases employee stress as they try to balance work and home life.
6. Increased costs. More people in the office means more overhead for space, utilities, furniture, and office supplies.
7. Lower employee engagement. When employees aren’t given the freedom to work where choose, they end up disconnected from their team and their work.