Procrastination is a common challenge, and many of us find ourselves spending time on unimportant tasks to avoid dealing with bigger ones. We all know the frustration of having to-do lists that grow longer without ever getting fully completed. It's like signing up for a gym membership but never going.

But procrastination doesn't always hinder success—high achievers are often strategic about it. They prioritize the most critical tasks first. This approach is known as "Eat That Frog" in productivity methodology.

What is "Eat That Frog"?

The term "Eat That Frog" might sound peculiar, but it's a metaphor for tackling your most important (and often most difficult) task first thing in the morning.

The term originates from Mark Twain's quote:

If your job is to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning.

Simply put, it's about confronting your biggest task early in the day, before anything else, to overcome procrastination.

Why Does "Eating That Frog" Work?

Overcome Procrastination

Prioritizing the most important task helps you tackle procrastination by reducing the mental strain of worrying about it. Instead of postponing critical work, you address it head-on, relieving the anxiety that comes with putting things off.

Improve Focus

Starting your day with the hardest task helps you stay focused on key priorities. By removing distractions early, you can maintain concentration for the rest of your day, boosting productivity.

Increase Productivity

Morning energy peaks are optimal for challenging tasks. By eating your frog first, you can maximize productivity for the rest of the day. The sense of accomplishment also keeps your momentum going.

Accelerate Goal Achievement

Eating the frog is a key principle of goal achievement. Tasks that align closely with your long-term objectives often provide the most significant returns, allowing you to make faster progress toward your goals.

21 Core Principles of "Eat That Frog"

In his book "Eat That Frog!", Brian Tracy lays out 21 principles to help you tackle procrastination and reach your goals. Key strategies include:

1. Define your goals and write them down

Lack of clarity is a major cause of procrastination. If you don't know what your goals are, you can't determine what to do next.

2. Plan Every Day in Advance

Spending just a few minutes planning your day can help reduce wasted time and scattered energy throughout the entire day.

3. Apply the 80/20 rule

Ensure that you prioritize the most important tasks, as these 20% of tasks/activities will yield 80% of the results.

4. Consider the Consequences

Ask yourself: What are the consequences of doing or not doing this task? Consider the long-term impact to help make current decisions.

5. Practice strategic procrastination

Ensure that you complete high-value, important tasks while delaying less urgent, low-value tasks.

6. Use the ABCDE Method

The ABCDE method is a prioritization strategy that categorizes tasks from A to E to determine their importance.

7. Focus on Key Result Areas

Ask yourself, "What are you hired to do? What should you deliver?" Stay on track to avoid deviations.

8. Work When You Work

The best way to achieve work-life balance is to be fully engaged in work during work hours.

9. Be Fully Prepared

Adequate preparation before starting work allows you to stay focused and increase efficiency.

10. Focus on One Task at a Time

Concentrate on a single task and avoid distractions.

11. Enhance Your Skills

Continuously learn and improve your abilities. The stronger your skills, the faster you can complete tasks.

12. Leverage Your Strengths

Use your strengths and talents to tackle tasks more effectively.

13. Identify Obstacles

Determine and eliminate barriers that hinder your progress.

14. Motivate Yourself

Identify and utilize your motivations and incentives.

15. Maximize Your Energy Levels

Complete the most important tasks during your peak energy periods.

16. Be an Optimist

Approach work and life with a positive and optimistic attitude.

17. Control Technological Distractions

Manage your use of technology to prevent it from diverting your attention.

18. Break Tasks into Smaller Parts

Divide tasks into smaller, manageable steps for easier completion.

19. Schedule "Frog-Eating" Time

Block out time in your calendar for completing important tasks.

20. Find Your Flow

Identify and optimize your work process.

21. Complete Tasks Fully

Don't quit halfway, see tasks through to completion.

How to eat your frog?

Eating the frog typically involves six steps:

1. Clarify your goals and write them down.

2. List the tasks needed to achieve your goals.

3. Break down complex tasks into manageable subtasks.

4. Prioritize all your tasks.

5. Schedule your plan on a calendar.

6. Complete one task fully before moving on to the next.

Find the Frog

The first step is to identify your frog. This means recognizing tasks with the highest value and requiring the most energy investment.

According to the Eisenhower Matrix, tasks fall into four categories: urgent and important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, neither important nor urgent. The "frogs" are tasks that are both urgent and important and should be marked as "high priority".

Be cautious not to assign too many high priorities, as this can dilute their significance. Keeping the rules simple and strict ensures effective prioritization.

📌 Tip:

In TickTick, when adding or editing tasks in your to-do list, prioritize using one of four levels: high, medium, low, or none. Identify your frog and assign it high priority for efficient organization!

Make a Plan

It's highly recommended to identify tomorrow's "frog" before wrapping up your workday.

Start by reviewing the tasks on your "Today" list to plan for your "Tomorrow" list and pinpoint tomorrow's "frog".

Then, close all browser windows except those related to tomorrow's "frog". This way, when you start your computer the next morning, it will be the first thing you see.

Another helpful strategy is to schedule tasks in time blocks.

Following Brian Tracy's advice in his book:

organize your days around large blocks of time where you can focus on your most important tasks.

Utilizing TickTick calendar to schedule tasks in various time slots can enhance your day planning and ensure you stay on top of all commitments. Keep your "frog" prominently displayed at the top of your calendar and use a bright color to mark it if needed.

📌 Tip:

If your "frog" is too large to tackle at once or requires more than half a day, consider breaking it into smaller tasks. This approach makes starting easier. Aim to "eat a small frog" before lunch to boost positive emotions and maintain motivation for the rest of the day.

Furthermore, the subtask feature in TickTick can be beneficial for breaking down complex tasks into more manageable parts and assigning multiple levels and priorities to them.

Execute the plan

When all is set, now is the prime moment to tackle your frog. Grab this guide and dive into today's task!

📌 Tip: To aid in digesting your frog, you might also consider:

• Employing the Pomodoro Technique with white noise.

• Practicing mindfulness to reach a state of flow.