Eat That Frog!

“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.”

~ Mark Twain

Several years ago I attended an EDSymposium in Nashville. During a presentation there by David Singer, author of Six Simple Rules for a Better Life , I first learned of a technique called “eating the frog”. The frog equals the item on your list that you need to do, but that you least want to do. The challenge is identifying these tasks and resolving to tackle one first thing in the morning. Buckling down and completing something difficult or uncomfortable will start your day with a feeling of accomplishment and build positive momentum to carry you through further tasks. Also…once the biggest frog is swallowed, nothing else seems quite as difficult in comparison.

Brian Tracy introduced this as a time management concept in his book Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. Here’s a video that explains it succinctly: https://youtu.be/0W7GB5Fh2XM.

I can’t say that I turned over a new leaf in Nashville and now eat a frog for breakfast every day, but the idea has really stuck with me throughout the years and I find it to be a valuable tool when organizing my daily to-do list. That is, on the rare days that I even have time to organize my to-do list. Hey…FROG!