Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-02-02
Attend 30 the DIsagreeable
First.


Nor long since, gentleman advanced
in years beyond the ordinary span Of hui.
man life, and who has been more tbne us.
ually successful, respected, and cheerful
through ling business career ia this
city. remarked that no small share Of bis
success had arisen from one rule, adopted
aud carried out through many years. I. e.
uniformly to attend to the most disa-
greeabls duty ofeach day as far as Ossitls,
first.
10 early life, he declared, be was natu-
rally disposed to be idle and get behind
hand in much OF the every day business of
life. from the opposite habit Of leaving the
disagreeable duties Of business until last.
Letters were unanswered, books un posted,
and all that could be deferred was left for
more convenient season which never
came. A sense Of the injustice which he
was thus doing himself at last burst upon
hin, and the above self-devised remedy
was the result. A most surprising change
took place to himself and all around him.
AT between seventy and eighty be had
not, few days since, letter unanswered,
nor an account that was not posted up !;
not debt owing, nor a care of any conse-
qnence that human fOretbought could
avert. Fer many years, summer or winter
he never failed to take cold bath On ris-
, ing, or came down to breakfast unshaved.
Nothing is ever out of place about his
house or grounds, and his business ac-
couots, amounting ut times to nearly half
million annually were always balanced
to a cent at the close Of each day. Through
| the stormiest times Of 1859, be steered his
business SO honorably, that while houses
esteemed tar Weather suspended, or had
to seek extensions, his passed through as
easily as when the skillful pilot guides q
! ship safely into port. No protest, or even
shade Of suspicion, ever happened while
he was in business, to any part of the en-
duct or credit OF the house. There were
heavy losses sustained by them, but 10 one
ever feared losing by them. The secret
Of the whole was the maxim to attend to
the most disagreeable duties Of each-1ay
first.
There are ten thousand men every year
in this country ruined by nothing else than
simply attending to pleasant matters first,
and deferriug the disagreeable to the last.
They ell mean. when they begin, to get
through the duties of each dag in the day
but beginning with the pleasant they pro-
long the time on these, and wake % to
find that the day has passed and left them
no time to get through the whole. Disa-
greeable matters then accumulate for want
Of time, aud still more for want Of in.
clination after the excavations of pleas
u-e, until al business is thrown into
confusion, aud the most important mat
tiers to success in life are dismissed ir the
most make-shift hurry or altogether omit
ted.
On the other hand, he who Ilaces such
duties first, when the mind is calm and
clear and without fatigue, will cot only
find time for them, but accomplish them 10
half the time, because the attention il
fresh. Nor will suck duties long remain
dissgreeable. Use will make them easy
and difficulty will render them even entic
ing. The habit of courage and combstiyt
energy will be kept up, and the habitua
and certain conquest of obstacles will make
the present of difficulty rather an exciting
stimulous of pleasuratle character thar
otherwise. But he who procrastinates the
disagreeable will coon be sunk in shamG
and selt-reproacb. Disgust will be excited
by the simplest difficulties that a fewstrokes
Of his pen could remove, and lie will either
never have any hours left for pleasure, or
his very qualifications become q constant
source of torment.
To rise early and lay calm plan for al
the important business of each day. with g
deliberate effort to dc thing because it i,
right, and seek the blessing OF heaven on
his efforts honorably to do all be can for
his family and for society, will not only
give pleasure under the most trying cir.
cumstanees, but, by leading a man rapid
ly through the dissgreeable parts and du.
: ties Of life, leave him far larger portion
OF his time for unmolested enjoyment auC
grateful, cheerful and happy life, even t.
old age. The is secret of bc29ines
that many more might End. if the,
J would but try the MAXIM Philadelphia
} Ledger.