Procrastination, it’s something I struggle with. Actually , more accurately I embrace it. I love to wait until the last minute. I don’t actually love it, but it has become a bad habit. After seeking some guidance on getting stuff done, my friend Kristy, Founder of AquaBelly Fitness, suggested that I read Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. Taking her advice, I purchased the audio version and listened to it while I went to the gym and cleaned my home.
This was a very short listen at under three hours. Broken into short chapters, the book allowed the message to resonate and sink in. And what IS that message? Plan. Plan. Plan. The underlying theme of the book is to create written goals and create a plan for getting there. However, the difference between this book and other motivational-get it done type of books is that it suggests tackling the biggest, most important tasks FIRST. Eat That Frog refers to having to eat a live frog (gross) first thing in the morning. If you can manage to swallow the frog, then everything else is cake.
If you are anything like me, you tend to knock out the easy, less time-consuming todo items. The biggest items tend to linger until the very last minute. I mean, doesn’t it feel pretty good to cross something off of the list, even if insignificant? The problem with my model is that important things often don’t get done. Or if they do, they aren’t done to the best of my ability. By changing the approach and attacking the monster duties, not only is there a sense of accomplishment, there is actual, valuable accomplishment. Hmmm, that’s heavy.
This week I am working on this new tactic. Writing this blog post for example is an important task for me. So I did it first. Is it easy? NOPE. I’m fighting it. But I read the book and want to try what it suggests. I really like that it deviates from the traditional “make a plan” and really focuses on setting priorities.
A big thanks to Kristy for the suggestion. I welcome other suggestions on books that have made your life easier. Let me know if you do check out Eat That Frog and if the strategy works for you.