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Eat That Frog

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Eat That Frog

21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

Berrett-Koehler,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

Goethe said, “The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.” Tracy is less eloquent: Eat that frog.

Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

We all have our frogs - important tasks that we’ve put off for whatever reason. The key to success is to eat your frogs quickly, completely and with focused determination. So says Brian Tracy, the master of hard-nosed time management. You’ll find no touchy-feely personal development pabulum here. The message of this book: Action leads to accomplishment. With that simple rule in mind, Tracy rolls out tools and techniques that will get you off your backside and into motion. getAbstract, while uneager to take up noshing on amphibians (well, maybe just the legs, in plenty of garlic butter), strongly recommends this book to anyone caught in the swamp of procrastination.

Summary

Amphibian on Toast

If you eat a live frog each morning you will know that you have already experienced the worst thing that will happen to you that day. You probably have frogs hidden on your desk and on your to-do lists. Your frogs are the tasks that you know are priorities, but that you’ve put on the back burner for whatever reason. It’s time to learn how to snack on those difficult problems. The good news is — it’s a high-protein diet.

OK, you don’t need to eat real frogs to be a success in business. But you do need to tackle critical projects and problems creatively and effectively. Here’s a plain and simple truth: The ability to focus in a single-minded fashion to accomplish the most important task before you is the prime determinant of your success. It’s that clear. The complication comes in, however, when you lack clarity about your true goals and objectives.

Lack of clarity can be a killer, because it impairs action, and action is the secret to success. Like everyone, you probably feel overwhelmed at times with too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. Select the most important challenge — that big, old frog slobbering in your in-basket — ...

About the Author

Brian Tracy talks to about 250,000 people each year about personal and professional development. His careers ranged from sales and marketing to investments and real estate development prior to founding his own firm, Brian Tracy International. He is the author of Get Paid More and Promoted Faster, Maximum Achievement and other books, as well as numerous best-selling audiocassette programs, including How to Start and Succeed in Your Own Business.

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    R. T. 4 years ago
    Quite simply a fantastic read on productivity. I wish I’d read this 10 years ago!
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    R. G. 7 years ago
    Amazing book from an amazing mentor !
    I've been reading Tracy's work for years and I always learn new tricks, as repetition is mother of all skills.
    Eating a fat frog first thing is he morning is an image that stick in the mind and one can only remember it when it's time to do so.
    However, it's very important to have a clear goal in mind if you want to work toward it, I know I missed that for years...
    As for managing my tasks, our team created a free online tool called Zenkit, along with an article about "frog eating" and we would love to have your feedbacks.
    https://blog.zenkit.com/how-to-eat-that-frog-2c9f0765237a
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    L. A. 8 years ago
    Loved this