Eat That Frog: 5 Amazing Tips for Time Management | DT Evolve

Introduction

Do you find yourself stuck in a loop of procrastination? Are you constantly struggling with maintaining a work-life balance and always exhausted from doing so much work? Is the habit of putting off work until the last minute causing you stress and anxiety? Do you want to learn time management skills and stay ahead of the time?

Not having enough time to do all the things you want to do can be frustrating and cause anxiety. Constantly getting distracted by things that are not important to you can keep you off track, and you will not be able to succeed in your life. Learn Eat that Frog technique to optimize your time management game. One thing all successful people have in common is their routine and how they manage their time. 

In this blog, you will learn about optimizing your time management with the Eat that Frog technique. You will learn what does eat that frog means and why this technique works for better time management. There are also tips on how to eat that frog for better time management and increased productivity. 

What Does Eat that Frog Mean?

The eat that frog strategy is a productivity technique that assists people in recognizing complex tasks. The idea behind the strategy is to let people identify the most challenging task, which is called a frog, and complete it first thing in the morning. This technique was popularized by author Brian Tracy. He talked about this technique in his book, “How to Eat That Frog.” In this time management technique, you need to do the most challenging or unpleasant task of the day first thing in the morning before moving on to the least urgent tasks. It helps you avoid procrastination and provides motivation to tackle the rest of your to-do list.

Why Does Eating that Frog Work?

Here’s the reason why eating that frog works to improve your productivity and prevent you from procrastinating tasks. 

It Promotes a Deep Work Habit

When you work in an office setup, you are constantly distracted by emails, meetings, text messages, and requests from colleagues. Modern workplaces are not designed to support deep work. Deep work is a phrase coined by Cal Newport, which means distraction-free work that requires all your mental resources to focus on one thing only. Eat that frog technique can help you cultivate the habit of deep work.

It Sets You Up to Win

People sometimes overestimate what they can get done in a day. Your expectations of productivity can sometimes make you feel like you are constantly falling behind. When you feel bad about not doing something you are likely to avoid that and procrastinate it for later. This loophole continues if you do not face the things that make you uncomfortable. Eat that frog technique sets you up to win by forcing you to focus on one thing at a time even when you are aware that you can do more.

It Takes Full Advantage of Your Best Work Hours

Morning time is the best time for doing difficult things as your concentration level is high at this hour. Your energy levels and willpower is high and you are more likely to show higher productivity in the morning. The time after lunch, all you want to do is take a nap. Eat that frog technique helps you take advantage of the best work hours that yield high productivity. 

Also Read: Pomodoro Technique: Master Time Management Skills | DT Evolve

How do You Identify the “Frogs”?

In order to accomplish important tasks of the day, you must know what are your priorities and what are the important tasks that you have to fulfill. Prioritization of tasks can be daunting task when you are not aware of your priorities and goals. Here are some ways to identify the “frogs”.

• Frogs are important, not urgent. You have already learned what are “frogs”. Frogs are important tasks that contribute to making a positive impact. Aim to accomplish big tasks that help you make progress in the long run and leave the small tasks for the rest of the day. Tasks like answering emails, and text messages don’t take much time and energy.

• Frogs need more time than other tasks. Big tasks need more time, energy, and focus to complete. On average, a perfect-sized frog takes one to four hours. If your frog takes more than four hours to complete, you should try breaking it down into smaller tasks. 

• Frogs often come with some resistance. The most challenging and difficult task will come with lots of resistance. It takes lots of effort to break the habit of procrastination as it can be challenging for you. You may feel the mental pressure to complete the work but do not let your negative thoughts conquer you.

Also Read: How Should You Plan Your Day : 10 Tips for Better Productivity | DT Evolve

Tips to Eat that Frog for Better Time Management

Decide on Your Frog

Make a to-do list and decide what task is your frog. The most important task that can impact you positively, in the long run, should be done first. The challenging task can create mental pressure and resistance that can cause you to procrastinate. Now you know, what task is the frog for you.

Frogs are Best Eaten Habitually

Frogs are the big task of the day. You will need to accomplish your big tasks regularly to make progress. The more you accomplish your frogs, the more you will see progress in your life. Try to cultivate a habit of eating that frog daily first thing in the morning. After you continuously eat 100 frogs, you will see how far you have come.

Always Eat Your Frogs First Thing in the Morning

Eat that frog in the morning. In the morning, you are full of energy and focus, which can be used to tackle the most difficult and challenging task of the day. You don’t have to worry about the frog when you are working on other tasks in your day. Try to get the task done right away to avoid procrastination.  

Prepare Your Frog the Night Before

Planning is the most important thing to do to become successful. You must plan your frogs one night before. For example, you decide to run 3 km daily in the morning. You must put your running shoes and socks on the table at night, so you don’t procrastinate this task in the morning.

Eat One Frog at a Time

Whenever you have two important tasks, choose the biggest and hardest one. After you have accomplished the biggest task of the day, you are more likely to feel content and fulfilled. Completing a difficult task gives you a sense of accomplishment and boosts your confidence, making it easier to tackle other tasks. Additionally, putting off the bigger task can lead to procrastination and anxiety, which can negatively impact your productivity.

Also Read: Procrastination at Work: What Causes Workplace Procrastination and How to Avoid It?

Conclusion

In this blog, you have learned about the Eat That Frog technique for better productivity and time management. You have learned why eating that frog works and improves your productivity. There are also ways to identify your frogs and accomplish them in a day. There are also tips for eating that frog to manage your time effectively.