This is the “big rocks first” principle. Or eat the frog. Whatever. I don’t like to imagine eating a frog in any circumstance, so I just go with BIG THING.

If you’re interrupted and distracted for the rest of the day, you’ll know you made progress on the big thing. But if you work on the big thing first, you’ll have a more productive day anyway.

Starting your day by making progress on the big thing ups your energy and motivation. You show yourself that you can do shit. That feels great. You focus on what’s important. That sets the tone for the day. You feel confident and happier, which makes everything better.