Eat Your Toad: How to Conquer Avoidance and Build Lasting Momentum for High Achievers
- Lexie Loman
- Dec 1, 2025
- 3 min read
“Your mission this week is to pick one toad, eat it first thing… and then feel that dopamine hit, that weight lift. You’re not just checking boxes — you are building momentum for a life you love.”
You know that thing you’ve been avoiding?
The mountain of laundry or dishes. The unread email that makes your stomach drop. The hard conversation you keep pushing to “future you.”
I call it your toad.
And today I’m going to show you why eating it — especially first thing in the morning — is the single most powerful habit I’ve ever built for self-trust, confidence, and peace.
The Science (because my therapist brain can’t help it)
When you tackle something hard right after waking, your brain releases up to 250 % more dopamine than usual — and that feel-good wave lasts for hours.
Pair that with morning sunlight and you also get a healthy cortisol spike early (which naturally dips at night so you sleep better).
Translation: one small hard thing = better mood, clearer head, deeper sleep, and momentum that snowballs all day.
Who doesn’t want that?
My Real-Life Toad Story
My toad was laundry.
I’d pour my energy into clients all day, come home to the after-school chaos, and the idea of switching, folding, hanging, and putting away laundry felt impossible.
So it sat. And sat. And every time I walked past the basket I felt a tiny stab of “I should…”
That guilt followed me into the evening and stole the very presence I wanted with my family...and future Lexie was left doing it ALL on the weekends instead of enjoying the day off.
Then I started eating my toad first thing in the morning.
Five minutes. One load. Fold & switch. Done. (Okay, maybe it takes me 10, but it started with just 5.)
Suddenly evenings (and weekends) were guilt-free. I was actually relaxed on the porch instead of mentally rehearsing the laundry I still “had” to do.
That tiny shift built self-trust → which built self-confidence → which built an entirely different life.
Now it’s habit and I don’t have to think about it!
Your 4-Step “Eat Your Toad” Practice
Name your toad right now. (Seriously, pause and write it down.)
Name your why — be specific. Example: “If I send that email first, I stop replaying the worst-case scenario all day.”
Eat it for just five minutes. One text. One paragraph. One load switched. Five minutes is always enough to break the spell. The key is just to promise that 5 minutes to start. Likely you’ll keep going to complete the task. Just start with 5 minutes.
Beat the resistance when it whispers “later”:
Sticky-note formula: “I avoided ___ because it made me feel ___. Tomorrow for 5 minutes I will ___.”
Time-block it or pair it with something you love (podcast, music, audiobook).
Pro tip: Don’t make every day a monster toad. Some days it’s folding one basket. Grace over guilt — always.
A Glimpse Into My Life Right Now
This morning at 7 a.m. I stood in my laundry room, coffee steaming in front of me, folding yesterday’s clothes while listening to a podcast.
The house was still quiet. The sun was almost coming up.
And for those ten minutes I wasn’t a therapist, a mom, or a business owner — I was just a woman keeping a tiny promise to herself.
That small act still gives me the softest, deepest exhale of the whole day.
If you’re ready to stop handing your peace away to un-eaten toads…
I have three gentle doors open for you right now:
→ Completely free: Comment UNCOVER anywhere you see me on social media and I’ll send you my 5-Day Uncover You Challenge — 5 minutes a day to pinpoint your #1 self-abandonment pattern and practice one tiny boundary that sticks.
→ Daily support & community: Join Lead a Life You Love with Lexie Loman on Facebook (free) — prompts, tools, and women who get it:
→ Ready to go deeper and ditch people-pleasing, box-checking, peace-keeping, and perfectionism for good?
Doors to the 16-week ReIgnite Masterclass are open. Reply SPARK or DM me to find out if Reignite is a good fit.
You don’t have to eat every toad alone.
Start with one. Five minutes. Today.
Your future self is already cheering.
Listen to the full “Eat Your Toad” episode here:
Now tell me in the comments — what’s your toad today? I’m cheering you on.
Comments