By Jennifer Evans, Executive Legal Recruiter
As we close out the first month of 2015, the endless buzz of New Year’s resolutions is starting to die down. And at risk of alienating some, I must admit I am BIG on New Year resolutions; I enjoy the fresh start of a new year and the possibilities it brings. Nevertheless, like many, I soon start falling back into my bad habits – One of which is procrastination.
Don’t get me wrong, overall I am a fairly effective and successful individual; however, procrastination is my daily battle. This year, I am vowing to be different! So, how does one do that? Well, to get things started, I am taking inspiration from Mark Twain’s quote, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.”
Several years ago, a business colleague recommended Brian Tracy’s book, ‘Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating & Get More Done in Less Time ’. Here Tracy shares his philosophy that the ‘frog’ is the toughest and most important task a person has at hand, and therefore is most likely to cause someone to procrastinate in other areas if it stays undone. The key to fighting procrastination is to build up a momentum by “eating a frog” as your first task.
When You Have to Eat Two Frogs, Eat the Ugliest one First
“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). Tracy explains it as when facing two important tasks for the day, it is best to discipline yourself to begin immediately with the hardest and the most imperative one before moving on to something else.
Avoid sitting and looking at your ‘Frog’ for very long
Over thinking will make it harder for you to swallow your ‘frog’, so get started on it the first time you see it! The key to achieving high levels of performance and efficiency is to develop a lasting habit of dealing with your most important task first thing each morning and establishing a practice of “eating your frog” without taking too much time to ponder over it.
Launch an action plan immediately
Successful people directly launch into their foremost tasks and then focus themselves to work progressively until completion. Your ‘failure to execute’ may be one of your biggest hindrances in achieving your goals, so make sure to have a concrete action plan at hand in order to get started right away.
Develop a Positive Addiction
This may not sound appropriate to many, but in his book, ‘Eat That Frog’, Brian Tracy sheds light on how one can actually develop a ‘positive addiction’ to the feeling of confidence, clarity and competence that endorphins trigger. Such an addiction can subconsciously drive you towards organizing your life and persistently starting and accomplishing your most challenging tasks.
I don’t know about you, but I want to become ‘addicted to frogs’ in 2015. I want to have clarity, feel confident, and be more competent. If it takes eating more ‘frogs’ then I am in!
So, anyone with me –Are You Ready to Eat Some Frogs?
Across all his books, audio and video learning programs on personal development and professional success, Brian Tracy offers useful advice and tips on achieving your goals easier and faster than you ever imagined. You can find more of his bestselling works and success stories on www.briantracy.com