Coaching practices for What to Do First
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For What to Do First, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- I psych myself up to launch into action and then freeze because I haven’t actually pinned down what the first move even is
- There’s a big thing I want someone to agree to and I know if I ask straight out they’ll say no
- There’s one hard thing I’m dreading, so I "warm up" on easy busywork to feel productive
- The first thing I do awake is grab my phone, and by the time I’m out of bed the inbox and the headlines have already set my mood for me
- I start most mornings just reacting to whatever lands in front of me first, with no clear sense of what actually has to happen today
Practices that may help
- Big Rocks First
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important. - Pair the count with a defined next action
Decide the exact first physical move beforehand so the count has somewhere to land.
The 5 Second Rule, Made Practical - Start with a minimal, easy-to-agree request
The first ask should be small enough that virtually anyone would say yes.
The Foot-in-the-Door Technique, Made Practical - Do the hardest task first
Tackle your single most important, most-dreaded task before anything else in the day.
Eat That Frog, Made Practical - Silence (meditation or stillness)
Start the day with a few minutes of quiet — meditation, breathing, or prayer.
The Miracle Morning, Made Practical - Identify your rocks before the day begins
Name your 1–3 most important outcomes for today — the rocks that must go in the jar first.
The Pickle Jar Theory of Time Management - Match task-first vs. relationship-first opening
Open the way your audience prefers — some need rapport first, others need the agenda first.
The Platinum Rule - Design the first 30 minutes of the day for attention, not reaction
Before opening any inbox, complete a brief attention-setting routine that establishes proactive direction.
Attention Management, Made Practical - Respect the fill-order every single day — rocks before sand
Make it a hard personal rule: no sand, no water, until a rock has been touched today.
The Pickle Jar Theory of Time Management - Create a morning protection ritual for peak hours
Start each day with a brief ritual that anchors your top priority before reactive demands take over.
The Time Audit
Related concerns
- Big Rocks First At Work
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks First Before Bed
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks First For My Teenager
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- First Task Of Day
Start each day with a brief ritual that anchors your top priority before reactive demands take over.
Create a morning protection ritual for peak hours
- First Things First
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Turned Away On First Day Of The Job
Surface a new hire’s geniuses early so you design their role around energy, not just skills.
Use genius mapping in onboarding
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