“If the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the rest of the day knowing that the worst is behind you” – Mark Twain
While that might be one of the stranger titles you read this week, I promise it’s not as mad as it seems – and no real frogs are involved! Mark Twain’s metaphor might be very colourful, it’s just that – a metaphor. And when it comes to running a business, it’s one we become all too familiar with. The idea is that if you’re dreading doing something, it should be the very first thing you do in the day. That way you don’t have to go the whole day dreading it, and putting it off time and time again, eventually getting yourself into trouble.
Now, your inner procrastinator might be shouting at you right now, yet the ‘eat that frog’ mentality really does work. It’s one of the ways successful people get to be as successful as they are. And when we talk about time management in business, there really is nothing better than eating a frog for breakfast.
What is ‘Eat That Frog’?
Eat That Frog is a fantastic little book by Brian Tracey (which you can buy here), and was inspired by that lovely Mark Twain quote above. And the whole book is based around one idea – that when you look at your to-do list for the day, the thing you’re dreading (or just looking forward to the least) is the thing you do first. That’s it.
It seems simple and it really does work. For one, the task actually gets done. And for another, once you have that big weight lifted, you can get on with the rest of your list and be much more productive because of it. ‘Frog eating’ can be applied to any area of your life, from business to personal. So, you might be dreading making your five sales calls that day, finally getting your tax return sorted or even something as simple as doing the washing that’s piled up. Whatever it is you’re dreading – put it at the top of your to-do list and actually get it done. That’s all there is to it.
Why we Procrastinate
The ‘Eat That Frog’ practice is great for everyone, but it’s especially useful for people who tend to procrastinate. And that’s because, while you might be able to come up with a hundred valid reasons not to do something, there is only one real reason behind all procrastination – you don’t want to do the thing. And the big, ugly, annoying task we’ve been dreading is usually the most important one on our plate at the time, and the one we’re most likely to procrastinate on.
But procrastination is just a habit – and not a great one to get into. And yes, everyone procrastinates sometimes, but there are a lot of people who just can’t seem to help it. People who procrastinate all the time are expert self-saboteurs, always putting blocks in their way that hurt their performance in all areas of life. It’s not a matter of being bad at time management or planning – it’s something that evolves in you. Like all bad habits, it can be broken, and break it you must! (By the way, if you want to find out more about the psychology of procrastination, there’s a great study on it here).
What Could Eating a Frog do For Your Business?
In short? Eating 1 frog a day can:
- Get the most important tasks finished
- Stop you missing deadlines
- Make you more organised
- Improve your productivity
- Make your business more profitable
- Help you manage your time better
- Boost your mood for the day
I think that last one is really important, because when you’re in a good mood, you’re naturally much more productive. By getting that big, dreaded task out of the way early, you can go through the rest of the day without the big cloud over your head, get more done, and be happier at the end of the day.
As part of my work with clients we often talk about time management. It’s an issue that impacts a lot of business owners, who seem to always have more to do and more hats to wear in their business. We find ways to balance those things, whether that’s through outsourcing, hiring, changing processes or just improving daily habits. Because you really can see all of those benefits, and more, with one simple change. And if reading this has made you think of one particular task and given you a sinking feeling in your stomach – you need to start eating frogs for breakfast. Click the link here to book a free discovery session with me, and see if I could help you regain some control of your life and feel a bit happier about your day.
After all, we all want to be happy, productive and profitable, and if eating a frog can do that, then let’s get out the knives and forks and dig in!
