We all struggle with prioritization from time to time. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we generally know what’s most important and what needs to get finished today. We know what we need to do in order to meet our deadlines and achieve our goals, but we often don’t slow down enough to evaluate and plan for tomorrow.
While there are many strategies we can implement to better prioritize our days, I want to share one of my favorites: eat frogs for breakfast. Mark Twain famously said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” In other words, if you have to eat a live frog, do it first thing and you can go through the rest of your day knowing the worst is behind you.
One of my favorite books on this topic is Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. He explains that approaching your hardest and most dreaded task is like eating a frog. If you avoid it, it will hang over you like a dark cloud and negatively affect the rest of your day. If instead, you choose to eat the frog first before anything else, the rest of your tasks will seem easier.
At the end of each day, review your tasks to make a plan for the next workday. As you evaluate your tasks, identify your hardest and most important task – this is your frog. Maybe it’s strategic work that requires focused time to think, a dreaded deadline, preparation for an upcoming presentation or perhaps it’s something you have a burning desire to procrastinate on for untold emotional reasons. Whatever task you choose, the act of eating your frog first will give you the boost to help the rest of the day seem lighter. It’s easy to come in, get your coffee, check email, and starting working through the quick and easy tasks on your to-do list. But first thing in the morning, the office is quiet, your mind is clear, and you haven’t yet been pulled in five different directions.
It’s going to be tough, but stick to the plan. Eat the frog. Do not initiate other tasks before completing your highest priority task. One easy way to make this practice a reality: don’t check your email until you’ve eaten the frog, legs and all. It’s an opportunity to accomplish your most important task before you lose control of the rest of your day. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and momentum as you move through your day. Will you accomplish more than that? Maybe, but no matter what else happens, you will be able to check off your highest priority task for the day.
If you want to consistently spend time in a committed and purposeful manner, consider adopting this new daily habit. Ribbit!
