What if I don't know what my "hard thing" is?

Look at what you have been avoiding for the past two weeks. The thing you keep mentally moving to tomorrow is almost always the thing with the most leverage.

How does CrossFit BC's 30-Day Lifestyle Reset use this idea?

The Reset installs structure around the hard things — training, nutrition, recovery — so they get done first, before willpower has to negotiate. The system carries you, not the other way around.

Do the Hard Thing First

Do the Hard Thing First from CrossFit BC. Procrastination is a sequencing problem, not a willpower problem. Do the hard thing first. Everything else gets easier.

Written by:: CrossFit BC
Section:: Mindset & Habits
Reading time:: 6 min
Topics:: procrastination, morning routine, habits, mindset, Vancouver
Published:: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Last updated:: Sunday, July 12, 2026

Do the Hard Thing First: The CFBC Rule for Beating Procrastination

This article is part of the CrossFit BC journal, written by the coaching staff who run our classes in Olympic Village, Vancouver. We publish what we teach on the floor: training decisions, recovery, nutrition, and the honest tradeoffs behind them.

Common questions

What does "do the hard thing first" actually mean?

It means you tackle your highest-leverage, highest-resistance task at the start of your day, before easier things sneak in front of it. It is a sequencing rule, not a motivation hack.

Why does the morning matter so much?

Mornings are the only time of day where nobody else is asking you for a decision. You have full control of your attention. Once your phone or laptop opens, you are inside someone else's priority list, not your own.

Do I have to train at 6am to use this principle?

No. The principle is about doing the hardest thing first, whenever your day starts. If your morning is at 9am, the rule still applies: tackle the hardest thing in the first 60 to 90 minutes.