Do you find yourself procrastinating and not being as productive as you would like when it comes to work or personal tasks? If your answer to this is yes, you may simply need a system in place that allows you to get more done and feel less overwhelmed.
In this blog, we’ll cover the Eat That Frog productivity method, a popular approach used by people who:
- Struggle with procrastination
- Find they are stuck doing ‘busy work’ rather than productive work
- Has trouble deciding on which tasks to prioritise over others
- Feels overwhelmed by an endless to-do list
What is the Eat That Frog Method?
The phrase ‘eat that frog’ actually comes from Mark Twaine who once said “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
Although this phrase may come across as a little strange, productivity expert Brian Tracy actually used this quote to create a method called ‘Eat that Frog’ which enormously helped people understand how to be productive and most importantly how to organise and tackle the most important tasks first thing in your day.
Eat Thar Frog methodology is about identifying the most important task on your list, and making sure it is completed first thing.
You might now be thinking one task a day just isn’t enough when you’re looking at 20 things you need to check off your list. But if you actually have numerous tasks that need completing, this method is actually one of the best to use for that.
Let’s be clear, this doesn’t actually mean you only do one task per day. Instead, this method will teach you how to identify the most important and most challenging tasks that you need to get done and help you tackle these first before moving onto the least urgent and easier to complete tasks.
Why Use the Eat That Frog Method?
You may already be using productivity methods such as time blocking or the pomodoro technique, which are both great! But here’s why Eat That Frog also deserves a place in your toolkit:
You stay focused
Valuable work requires concentration, but it can become overwhelming to fully focus on tasks in the workplace or even at home. The Eat That Frog method helps you become less distracted whether that’s others interrupting you or you distracting yourself.
You start to prioritise more effectively
Using this method helps you prioritise what’s important on your list, and gets it done before anything else steals your focus. It guarantees you’re setting your own agenda.
Stops you from becoming distracted from emails
Most people fail to focus before they even start their own work due to waking up and checking their never ending emails in their inbox and responding to other people priorities before their own. This becomes increasingly distracting and limits your time on your own goals. Using the Eat That Frog method means you’re prioritising yourself first, and focusing on what’s important to you, not others.
It Creates Daily Momentum
Studies have shown that consistent progress is a key motivator for people to accomplish their goals. When you experience a win (big or small) it builds momentum and carries positive energy throughout the rest of the day.
It provided a simple tool to use daily
Not only is this tool simple to use, it’s one you can fall back on everyday whenever you feel your tasks are becoming overwhelming. Choosing one task and checking it off first is about as straightforward as productivity gets.
Practical Tips for Eating Your Frog
1. Decide on Your Frog (The Most Important Task)
Your main task should be something that is important but not necessarily urgent. This type of tasks is usually still on your list for some time due to mental resistance, which causes you to procrastinate if you don’t make time for it.
2. Keep It Manageable
Pick a task that is able to be completed in no more than 2 hours. It should be clearly defined and realistic for it to be completed. This makes it easier to actually get it done first thing in the morning, without it taking up much of your day so you are able to then move onto the easier tasks.
3. Break the task down when you can
If your task takes longer than 2 hours, break it into bite sized pieces. The aim is to keep your task manageable, not something so big you it overwhelms you.
4. Try not to over plan
Once you start to use this method, it may be tempting to start scheduling your tasks for the entire week or month ahead. However, determining how long tasks are going to take over a long time period is nearly impossible. It’s best to work day by day with this approach to see the best results.
5. Eat Your Frog First Thing (most important task)
No matter what time you start your day, make sure to get this task done straight away. Avoid reading messages, opening emails or reviewing the rest of your list and instead focus on your frog first.
How to incorporate Eat That Frog into your to do list
You can easily incorporate this method into your existing task management process if you have one already:
Use 4 priority levels (P1 to P4)
Assign your frog to priority level one (P1) and avoid giving anything else that same level of importance. This is so your frog is at the top of your list and is clearly the task needing to be completed the most.
Start being more productive TODAY!
The Eat That Frog method is more than just another productivity method, it’s a great approach that enables you to focus thoroughly on your to do list making sure your most important work is done on time without procrastination or burnout. By consistently tackling your biggest, most important task first, you’ll find yourself free for the rest of the day to then start working your way down your list of smaller, easier tasks without feeling overwhelmed.
To learn more, watch our YouTube video on how to use the Eat That Frog method below, or get in touch with our team. Call us on +44 (0) 1704 889325, email info@salestrainingint.com, or complete our contact form to get started.
