Eat the Frog

It’s mid-morning already, so…how many frogs have you eaten so far?

I’m sure you know what I’m getting at here?

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day”.

It’s been said a million times or more since Mark Twain (allegedly) first said it years ago.

You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it.

So why do we all still ignore it?

I mean it’s great advice.

We all know we should get the grotty, unpleasant things off the to-do list quickly…that tackling the most daunting tasks early on builds momentum that runs through the day…that the tough stuff is best handled when the mind is sharp and focused, leaving the simpler things for the natural energy dips that come mid-afternoon…

We all know this. But do we follow the rule?

Well, let’s be honest…most people don’t.

I don’t know if this includes you, or your staff, but there’s no denying…those who follow the norm will do anything but munch a bit of frog!

They’ll stagger to their desks first thing, still yawning and clutching a Costa. They’ll spend 20 minutes on Facebook or chatting with co-workers about last night’s ‘Corrie’. And when they finally break a sweat, the frogs get pushed aside.

Because it’s easier to take on a fun or simple task and convince yourself that you’re doing something important.

There’s no big revelation here, I know. But if you’re still getting frog-like tasks showing up in your email calendar…and if you’re ignoring them, day after day…well, it’s a point worth making.

Because…Frog-Munching is the one thing that can set your business apart.

While your competitors opt for the easy life…or just lick the odd frog for a moment then put it aside until never…you’re doing the hard things that bring in the rewards.

You’re holding difficult conversations. Tackling confrontation. Crunching numbers until your brain melts.

They’re not fun, these froggy tasks. But they pay dividends.

And as Twain said, when you do this stuff early, you’re in control of the day. Like getting a head start in a race, you suddenly feel you can’t lose.

So if I had my way, this is guidance everyone would take: start the day with a list of 3 or 4 tasks and bite down hard on the nasty one first. That’s a no-brainer for me.

But it’s also worth saying, this principle is about more than how you manage your day. It’s also a great rule for life…if you think about it.

“First thing in the morning” means now – today. And “the rest of the day” is the rest of your life.

So the more you’re willing to tackle now, the more you’ll thank yourself in the future.

To you, that might mean showing up at the gym…or studying long into the night…or sacrificing time off, so you can build a better business.

Or it could mean going through tough experiences, to give you the steel and resolve for any challenge that follows.

Case in point: a friend of mine did some stand-up comedy when he was 19. He was way out of his depth (so he tells me) and the audience was unforgiving. He got endless verbal abuse, up there alone on stage, but he saw it through to the bitter end.

That was years ago. And since then, he’s never been afraid of speaking in public. He reasons, he’s already had the worst possible experience…so it’s all good from here on in.

He ate the frog, and it paid off.

So, here’s my challenge for you this week…

EITHER:

1 – Get ruthless with your to-do list. Every day, choose a handful of achievable…and worthwhile…tasks and start with the one you’re dreading. Take it as far as you can for the day before you move on to the next one.

OR:

2 – Face up to a bigger fear, like calling prospects or writing sales copy. If you fail, there’s nothing to fear again…you’ve already seen the worst of it. And if you succeed, well…it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be!

Eat the frog.

…Then either way, you can’t lose.

Courtesy of Brian Tracey