Eat that Frog ~ I know sounds dreadful but bear with me!
Eat That Frog is a metaphor that first came to my attention via one of the experts in time management, Mr Brian Tracy.
Essentially it’s about getting that ‘thing’ done.
You know the ‘thing’ ~ that ‘thing’ you keep putting off.
There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day.
Essentially we’re talking about tackling the most challenging task of your day.
The one thing you are most likely to put off, but also probably the one thing that will have the greatest positive impact on your day, your week, your life!
We have to face facts.
There just isn’t enough time to get everything done on our ‘To Do’ list.
There never will be.
In fact you’ll find successful people don’t try to do everything.
What they do is learn to focus on the most important tasks and make sure they get done.
Here’s a short video which gets this message over perfectly.
In his book ‘Eat That Frog! Brian Tracy cuts to the core of what is vital to effective personal time management.
Decision.
Discipline.
Determination.
Eat that Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time details 21 practical and doable steps that will help you stop procrastination and get more of the important tasks done . . . and done today!
Here’s the first 10 steps for you . . .
- Set the Table (Brain quotes Napoleon Hill “There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to achieve it.”)
- Plan Every Day in Advance (quoting Alan Lakein “Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now.”)
- Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything (in the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “We always have time enough, if we will but use it right.”)
- Consider the Consequences (“Every man has become great, every successful man has succeeded, in proportion as he has confined his powers to one particular channel.” ~ Orison Swett Marden)
- Practice the ABCDE Method Continually (“The first law of success is the concentration, to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right or to the left.” ~ William Mathews)
- Focus on Key Results Areas (quoting Norman Vincent Peale “When every physical and mental resource is focused, ones power to solve a problem multiples tremendously.”)
- Obey the Law of Forced Efficiency (Komar ~ “Concentration, it its truest, unadulterated form, means the ability to focus the mind on one single solitary thing.”)
- Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin (quoting James T McKay “No matter what the level of your ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop in a lifetime.”)
- Do Your Homework (as said by Og Mandino “The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”)
- Leverage Your Special Talents (Do your work. Not just your work and no more, but a little more for the lavishing’s sake – that little more that is worth all the rest.” ~ Dean Briggs)
For my take on time and some top time management tips request a copy of my free eBook
‘The One Big Mistake People Unwittingly Make When It Comes To Time Management and How To Avoid It’.
Don’t worry, I’ve thought about you really not having enough time to read a War & Peace sized book on this subject so I’ve made this eBook a really quick read for you.
Reading time = one large cappuccino (other beverages are of course available so take your pick!)
