Do The Hard Work Now

Man focusing on prioritising action.

A simple message sits on my desk, challenging me daily. “Do the hard work now.” It’s my mantra for 2025—a constant push to tackle what really matters.

When I asked myself, “What one thing, done consistently, will make the biggest difference this year?” the answer was immediate: Stop avoiding the important, hard-to-do stuff.

As I reflected, I framed it into a mantra designed to drive action:

Do the hard work now.

Underneath, I added a reinforcing statement:

“Do the thing you least want to do—now.”

To make it actionable, I created this simple acronym:

ACT:

• Ask – What am I avoiding?

• Clarify – What is the very next step?

• Take – Action now!

Small shift. Big impact. It’s a game changer.

It’s already making a difference—and revealing just how tempting it is to default to the ‘easy’ (low-importance, low-impact) tasks.

What one action would create the biggest impact for you this year?

— Mike