I am a productivity and self-help junkie. Give me all the info. I have lived my life with a strong to-do list by my side for as long as I can remember. However, recently my whole world was turned upside down when I learned that very to-do list, that I have always thought of as being my trusty sidekick for propelling my life forward, could very well be holding me back. That’s when I learned about "Eating the Frog".
The basic gist of "Eating the Frog" is that you do the worst task first. Mark Twain once said,
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
So I’ve been looking over my to-do list for years and doing what is kinda fun, what is easy, and feeling super productive getting all those endorphins as I’m checking things off, however there are always hard, ugly, frog-like tasks that get moved to each new to-do list because I have put them off. The frog is that thing on your list that you have zero motivation to do and will likely procrastinate. When you eat the frog, you just freaking do it.
Before I might’ve been getting a lot done (and feeling good about it), but not making progress on the important stuff. Now I ask myself, what is the one thing that I would feel super accomplished if I did today. If I only did this one thing, I would still feel proud and productive, and I eat that damn frog first thing. I also don’t just eat frogs all day long. I kind of celebrate that I ate the frog and then I can keep going with other items on the to-do list, but it feels so good once that frog is down the hatch.
I first heard this idea on the Rachel Hollis podcast, which I highly recommend you listen to if you think this could be helpful in your world. But surprise, I wanted to know more. I just finished listening to the book, Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. It takes a deep dive into this concept, and is a quick listen at under 3 hours, but here are some of my main takeaways.
Set your main priorities first.
Don’t get distracted by tadpoles when you have frogs to eat.
The 80/20 Rule, also known as Pareto’s Principle says that 20% of your tasks/activities will bring you 80% of the results/awards. Figure out what those tasks are and focus your energy on those 20%.
Keep it simple, that’s the beauty to eating the frog. You simply figure out what is most important to do, or what you are dreading the most, that will take the most mental capacity, and that is the frog you will eat.
There is some great information in Tracy’s book for how to be more productive at work or in your life. A couple that stood out to me were:
If given 30 seconds to come up with the 3 most important goals in your life right now, they would likely be the same as if you were given a much longer timeframe.
Figure out what 3 tasks at work contribute the most to your position and delegate the rest.
Identify your key constraints. What is keeping you from achieving your goals? Be honest.
Use time blocking to create large chunks of time where you can really focus on your tasks.
I am using this a lot with my kids now to help them prioritize their days. They can now identify that when they have to put their laundry away on Saturday, that is their frog. You don’t want to sit and stare at this frog you have to eat all day. Knock it out and then move on without that cloud weighing over you. Don’t put it off, just "eat the frog".
Common questions now heard in my house are, “What is your frog today?” “What do you plan to do after you eat your frog?” My kids don’t love it, and they have annoying questions and comments about why it is a frog (spoiler alert, I have no idea why Mark Twain decided on a frog), and they tell me that frog legs are delicious and blah, blah, blah, but the idea is sinking in. Per usual, I took it a step further by having my graphic designer friend, Brandon from La Lune Group, come up with this fun "Eat the Frog" artwork that I have framed in both of their bathrooms as a little reminder for them to see each morning as they are brushing their teeth, as well as a little one on my desk. A printable version is now for sale on the Etsy store (boy or girl versions) if you love it and want to help this idea sink in with you and/or your kiddos too.
What is your frog today? Eat that sucker!
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