Is the Hardest Thing Always the Priority?

No. Hardest and most important right now are not always the same thing. Suppose you have a difficult homework assignment due next week, something small that must be handed in tomorrow, and another job that someone else needs you to finish before they can do their part. The homework assignment might be the hardest, but that doesn't automatically put it first. A priority depends on what needs attention, when it is needed and what happens if you leave it.

That is why priorities involve thinking rather than simply following a rule. Eat the Frog helps when you are avoiding something important. Priorities help when several things are competing for your attention and you need to decide what deserves it first. The useful question isn't always What's hardest? What needs my attention first, and why? Getting that decision right helps you spend your time where it matters instead of discovering later that you worked hard on the wrong thing.