Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Brian Tracy
20 min
9 Key Points
4.7 RateWhat's inside?
Discover 21 practical strategies to overcome procrastination, boost productivity, and achieve more in less time.
You'll learn
1. How to sort out your to-do list?2. Got a case of the "I'll do it laters"? Here's the cure.3. Mastering the clock: Time management tips.4. Boost your productivity, here's how.5. Why setting goals and sticking to them matters.6. Keeping the fire burning: Staying motivated and disciplined.Key points
01Set goals and plan your day ahead to make future goals a reality now
Let's talk about a simple yet powerful strategy to boost your productivity and kick procrastination to the curb. It's all about setting clear goals and planning your day ahead of time. Think of setting goals like being a ship's captain. Without a destination, you'd just be floating around aimlessly, wasting time and resources. It's the same in life. Without clear goals, you're likely to spend your time on unproductive tasks, which can lead to procrastination and inefficiency. So, how do you set clear goals? Write them down. Putting your goals on paper makes them real and serves as a constant reminder of what you're aiming for. It's like having a roadmap that guides you towards your destination. When your goals are clear, your mind becomes laser-focused, your creativity kicks into high gear, and you're filled with the energy to achieve those goals. Now, let's talk about planning your day in advance. This is like plotting the course for your ship before you set sail. By planning your day the night before, you're setting clear expectations for yourself for the next day. You know what tasks you need to tackle and can prioritize them based on their importance and urgency. This daily planning brings the future into the present. It means you're not just thinking about your long-term goals, but also the daily tasks that will lead you towards those goals. This way, you're not overwhelmed by the size of your goals, but breaking them down into manageable daily tasks. Here's a fun way to think about this concept. Imagine you have to eat a frog, which is a metaphor for a challenging task. It's best to do it first thing in the morning, so you can spend the rest of the day knowing that the most difficult task is behind you. In a nutshell, setting clear goals and planning your day in advance is a powerful strategy to boost productivity and fight procrastination. It's about knowing where you're going (goals), plotting your course (planning), and then setting sail (taking action). By following this strategy, you can stop procrastinating and get more done in less time.
02Do the big stuff first to free up your time
Imagine you've got a list of ten tasks to do today. They all take about the same amount of time, but they're not all equally important. Some tasks will make a big difference in your life or work, while others won't. So, how do you decide where to start? Well, here's a method that might help. It's called "Eat That Frog!" and it's all about tackling the toughest task first. Picture this: out of your ten tasks, two of them are really important. They're the ones that will have the biggest impact on your life or work. These are your 'frogs'. Instead of starting with the easiest task or the one you feel like doing, you start with the most important one - your biggest, ugliest frog. Even if you don't manage to finish all ten tasks by the end of the day, you've done the most important ones. This way, you're making sure that your time and energy are spent on tasks that really matter. This method is all about prioritizing and getting things done. By focusing on the most important tasks first, you're always working on things that bring you closer to your goals. And by actually doing these tasks, you're making progress. Getting a tough task done first thing in the day not only gives you a sense of achievement, but it also creates a positive momentum that you can carry into other tasks. It's like a snowball effect - the satisfaction and motivation you get from finishing one task fuels your energy and motivation for the next. Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle. If you've got a 1000-piece puzzle, you could start by sorting out the edge pieces, then grouping the remaining pieces by color or pattern. This is a systematic approach that makes the task more manageable. But if you were to start by trying to fit random pieces together, you'd probably get frustrated and give up. The same principle applies to your daily tasks. By identifying and completing the most important tasks first, you make the rest of your day more manageable and productive. In the long run, this approach helps you focus on tasks that align with your goals and contribute to your success. It's about seeing the big picture and understanding how each task fits into that picture. By consistently eating your frogs, you're always moving forward and making progress towards your goals.
03Use creative procrastination and the ABCDE method to prioritize tasks
04Use the rule of three to focus on tasks that yield results
05Always prepare well before starting any big task
06Boost your productivity by staying motivated and focused
07Break down big tasks into smaller bits to make them manageable
08A sense of urgency can help you stay focused and get better results
09Conclusion
About Brian Tracy
Brian Tracy is a Canadian-American motivational speaker and self-development author. He has written over 70 books, including "Eat That Frog!", all focused on leadership, sales, business strategy, and success psychology. Tracy is also the CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in training and development of individuals and organizations.
