Diet Advice for Procrastination

Today I am eating a frog. Yes, right now as I write this I am eating a frog. I am not answering emails or returning phone calls or organizing my office or thinking about what I shall make for dinner or planning my next trip to warmer climes. I am eating a frog. And I am washing it down with a cup of hot yerba mate chai (my current favorite morning beverage).

And tomorrow morning I will get up and eat another frog.

This is my new dietary program for procrastination. And I am finding it to be quite effective. Actually, it is not “my” diet program, nor is it a “new” dietary program. It is new to me however. And although many of you may already be familiar with the “eat a frog each morning” diet, redundancy is a good thing (especially when it comes to tips for changing behavior patterns related to procrastination). And since this is new to me, I am guessing it is still new to others and I wanted to share my newfound tip.

I believe Mark Twain suggested this diet way back in the 19th century. He suggested: “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful”.

Thank you, Mark Twain, for creating a vivid and effective image advising us to pick the hardest, most important (not necessarily the most urgent) task of the day and do it first!!

Brian Tracy has elaborated on that good advice in his book, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.

There are many resource and books advocating the “Getting Things Done” (GTD) action management method. I find if I incorporate a GTD mind-set I surprise myself with my productivity and with extra time and energy at the end of the workday. Eating a frog first thing in the day helps get me off to a great start.

There are a few corollaries that may be helpful, as I am sure you are asking, “how does one actually go about eating a frog?”

Corollary #1: “If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long” (thanks again, Mr. Twain). Focus on this most important task and do it…now. Do what you need to do to avoid any other distractions. This is the only example of the “clean plate club” that I endorse.

Corollary #2: Eat the frog one bite at a time. Small bites…don’t play with your food, just keep eating.

Corollary #3: If you have more than one frog to eat, eat the biggest and ugliest one first.

I do believe frog is an acquired taste. I am quite sure that if I eat a frog every morning, it will become a habit. I will begin to look forward to that frog like some folks look forward to their first cup of coffee. Being nearly done with this frog, I can already feel that pick-me-up feeling that will carry me through the rest of my (very productive) day.

So, for those of you who are regular readers of my blog…wait, I don’t regularly write a blog…well, it looks like I know just what frog I will being eating tomorrow morning!

Here’s to a productive day-
Jess