Philosophy question: Given two tasks, one difficult and one easy, which do you do first?

[puffff]

depends on which one is more fun!

for example, if the choices were:

a) peel some potatoes (easy but boring)
b) plan my next vacation (more difficult but more fun)

i'd do b)

however, if b) were "unclog a backed up toilet", i think i'd peel some potatoes first.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Descartes
You haven't provided enough information. First, you'd have to quantify difficult. Difficult how? In terms of time? Physical/mental exertion? Monetary resources? What's the value for each task? Obviously, that which has the greatest value for the least effort is likely the winner, but even that doesn't consider all the ancillary details: time constraints, whether it's part of a greater goal that has a greater value than the other tasks, etc.

So, I think it's a bad question. Personally, I evaluate all facets of an action and take that which gives me the greater return [mostly] independent of effort. That which has the greatest return is usually that which is in agreement with long-term goals and that which challenges my current intellectual foundation as much as possible.

Exactly.

If one is more time consuming than the other, but there is a set deadline, it would be better to knock off the easier one first, to concentrate fully on the harder.

If one is more challenging than the other, I'd start with the more difficult, move on to the easier when I get burned out, complete that, then refocus upon the more difficult.

If the situations interact - one makes the other more harder to complete, by the magnitude of their original difficulty, then the difficult situation should be tackled first. The smaller situation only slightly magnifies the bigger, whereas the bigger magnifies the smaller far more. It's more efficient to go after the big problem first.

If one is more *important* than the other, it would be better to deal with the most important first, unless the less difficult situation is completely insignificant in terms of effort compared to the other.

But ALL of this is dependent upon how much more difficult, and specifically what kind of difficulty, one situation is over the other. Impossible question to answer as is.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: DaShen
Depends... which one is more crucial/important?

Not an issue. If you want a context, imagine you are working on a house and have two items you need to complete. Something like ripping out four layers of tile in one room and painting a small room in another part of the house. Both must be done, but they are vastly different in difficulty.

In that situation - rip half the tiles out, take a break and paint the room, and then finish the tiles. Painting the room first or last would force you to rip the tiles out in one session, which would be too tiring, and less efficient overall.

If thats not an option, the bigger task first, when you have more energy. Even though you'd be tired, the painting will still be doable, and seem like a relief. If you paint first, the tile job will be looming, and while the painting would be done quicker, you'd have less overall energy for when you'd actually need it.

 

[kt]

Originally posted by: Rudy Toody
Personally, I would delegate both.

You have upper management written all over you.

 

[ntdz]

I always do the easier one first so I can be done with it and concentrate on the second...

 

[Mo0o]

Do the easy one as fast as possible so I know how much time i can delegate to the hard question. I can also then give it my full attention

 

[akshatp]

Easy first. That way you are half way done with your to do list

 

[sandorski]

depends

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: sandorski
depends

on what?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: sandorski
depends

on what?

Enjoyment, nature of tasks, mood, etc.

 

[Rudy Toody]

Originally posted by: kt

Originally posted by: Rudy Toody
Personally, I would delegate both.

You have upper management written all over you.

I was in upper management at one time, but it didn't work out.

They locked me out of the boardroom when they found out my parents were married.

 

[DarkKnight69]

Do the easy one first in case the hard one takes more time then anticipated, at least then you have at least one of the tasks done...

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: funboy42
I used to work on the R&R. I would do all my trench digging during the day when it was a bit cooler out and I was full of energy then run my wires and fill it in. Rather then some of the others that would run thier wires and hook them up then in the middle of the afternoon when your hot, sweaty, and tired already then go digging (by hand mind you because the RR I worked for didnt like to have machinery on the right of way). I always got all my hard stuff done and out of the way and when it was raining (without thunder and lightning for you can get electicuted if it hits the rail even from miles away) I worked and got my shoveling and pic axing done no matter what first thing.

Your advantage there was you made the hard job easier (digging when it was cool). Your advantage was NOT because you did the hard job first. For example, pretend instead, you worked from 2 pm - 10 pm. Would you do the digging in the heat of the day at 2 pm? Or would you have rather waited until 6 pm when it was cooler?

So your choice was medium first then easy second. That isn't the question. The question was hard/easy vs easy/hard, not medium/easy vs easy/hard.

Sorry but even if it was hot outside the digging is the hardest part so I still would do it first . There were plenty of times we were called onto a different site in the middle of a long dig to do an emergency in the afternoon and still I would dig first. Hell come to think of it even when I worked with other peopole then my brother (he is like me hard job first) I would do the digging no matter what. Most of the time I didnt look at it as digging but not having to pay for a gym membership

But again to answer your question even if it was hot or cool out, and even in the things I still do today, I prefer to get the hard stuff out of the way. I dont see it getting done any other way for me. but again the op question all depends on the job and the situations of the day. If it ment making a customer happy if you got the easy one done, boss off you back, what ever it would be for me to choose easy first to make boss/company/customer then so be it. In my situation though I didnt have a customer to make happy. Just what needed to get done in one days time no matter which came first so in that hard is always first and will be for me.

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: Rudy Toody

Originally posted by: kt

Originally posted by: Rudy Toody
Personally, I would delegate both.

You have upper management written all over you.

I was in upper management at one time, but it didn't work out.

They locked me out of the boardroom when they found out my parents were married.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: fitzov
are you talking prudence or morality?

No moral issues involved and not really a prudence question, just a question of preference and/or personal motivations.

What I find most amusing is those that cannot accept a theoretical question without context. I see a lot of overthinking here.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: AndrewR
No idea why I thought of this a little while ago, but I wanted to see what the opinions were on here.

So, if you have two tasks or jobs (unrelated to each other so it doesn't matter what order they are done), which do you do first: the difficult one, or the easy one? Do you go for the quick "win" and knock out the easy one, or do you use your best (first) efforts on the difficult task and leave the easy one for later?

A poll for your enjoyment!

More of a psychology thing than philosophy don't you think?

I guess it depends on how you look at it. The reason behind the choice could be philosophical or psychological, though the results are definitely open to psychological interpretation, I'd think.

This is just one of the many easy ways to waste my time on AT!

 

[Alex]

easy... cause if you spend too much time on the difficult task you might not have time for the easy one... just get it out of the way!

or alternatively, don't do any!