Go ahead, eat it. I dare you!
By: David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing that nothing worse is going to happen. Speaker and Executive Coach Brian Tracy went on to add, “If you have to eat frogs, eat the ugliest one first.” Whether you like frogs or not, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to eat a live one. But if you did need to eat one each day, it would make sense to eat it first thing. The rest of your day would be so much more positive and enjoyable knowing the dreaded task was behind you.
Each day we are faced with a myriad of things that need to get done. Some tasks are enjoyable. Some are almost as bad as eating a live frog. An example that I use in my Making Today Matter session goes something like this: Saturday morning has finally arrived. You have a few chores to do, and a loved one has suggested going out for breakfast. Realizing you have all day, and delighted with the idea, you get your coat and the two of you are off to a wonderful time at the local diner. Two hours later you return home. Too stuffed to work, you decide to watch some “educational” television. You know Saturday mornings on PBS. The next thing you know it’s noon. Time for lunch. After lunch that same loved one asks if you could run a few errands with them. Sure, quality time with that special someone. That’s how you build a strong marriage. Before long the day is over and you never did the few chores. You feel lousy. You only had a few things to do, and yet, you never got to them.
You should have eaten the frog early in the day. That’s right. Imagine if you had completed the chores you were dreading, the rest of your day would have been terrific. The momentum that started when you completed the tasks would have carried you through the day. If you want to accomplish more, have more energy, and build momentum into your life, pick one or two “frogs” on a daily basis and eat them first. What frogs do you need to eat this morning?
Please join Marisa and me on The Next Page podcast as we discuss several ways to battle procrastination and accomplish more.
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