Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.– Stephen Covey

As a teenager, I spent the summers working for my father’s business.

Bell Pallet would remove and repair a company’s unwanted pallets for resale.

It was dirty, physical work.

Call it immaturity, call it laziness but I often found and lifted the lightest pallets first.

My father would stand back, sweat running down his face, shake his head and say, “When you have the most energy, when the work is the most challenging, always do the heavy lifting first, kid.”

We might not be teenagers anymore but the advice still applies.

Do we still do the light, easy work first? Are we guilty of saving the heavy work for later, when energy and patience are at a premium?