Written by Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog is an anthology of ideas and methods from authoritative personalities in the personal productivity and time management industry. Covering multiple ways of overcoming procrastination, this book offers practical techniques to increase momentum. With no jargons or complex scientific studies, the book is written in simple terms and is easy to understand. And while the methods aren’t backed with research and studies, they are still highly credible since they come from the author’s personal experiences. The main focus of this book lies in actionable methods and strategies that are intended on being used by the reader right away without any procrastination.
“The law of Forced Efficiency says that “There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.”
Eat That Frog comprises 21 chapters. Each chapter highlights a new method to be used for increasing productivity and battling procrastination. Below are a few notes and summary of the key concepts mentioned in this book.
Power of Writing
Like most other time management experts, Brian Tracy also states the importance of writing down things and their power in relation to planning and goal setting. While different techniques are spoken about throughout the book, the emphasis lies on writing them down. And no he doesn’t mean typing it on your phone or laptop, he stresses on writing it down on paper and will give you enough evidence to prove its importance.
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. The bigger your goals and the clearer they are, the more excited you become about achieving them. The more you think about your goals, the greater becomes your inner drive and desire to accomplish them.”
Eat That Frog
The main concept of the book revolves around its title-Eat the Frog. This is derived from a famous quote by Mark Twain.
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
In simple words, start your day by completing the task you like the least and are most likely to procrastinate. By doing so, you are rest assured that the day ahead will be comparatively easier since you have checked off the most uninspiring or stressful task off your to-do list. For example, if you hate going to the gym, it is wise to start your day with this activity. This way you are completing the desired task and going ahead with your day with a winning attitude having conquered something you don’t necessarily enjoy. This method is simple yet unbelievably powerful. It has proven to be a game changer for many. In case, there is more than one frog in your life, eat the ugliest one first.
“You cannot eat every tadpole and frog in the pond, but you can eat the biggest and ugliest one, and that will be enough, at least for the time being.
Choosing Right
Brian Tracy speaks on the importance of choosing what’s right. He aptly says, “One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all.” The exercises proposed by him help the reader make smart choices in terms of the tasks that need attention and the ones that don’t. By consciously choosing to ignore unimportant tasks, we subconsciously prioritize the important ones.
“Everyone procrastinates. The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on.”
Life-changing Habits
“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.”-Brian Tracy
Through this book, Brian Tracy tries to implement game-changing habits in his readers. According to him, our life is a summation of our habits. Starting and completing a task effectively is one of the habits he talks about in the book. Most people fail not because they are unworthy of success, it is because they do not complete the task and leave it halfway. Through his simple techniques, Brian Tracy teaches his readers to follow through and complete the task at hand no matter how challenging it may seem.
“As Pat Riley, the basketball coach, said, “Anytime you stop striving to get better, you’re bound to get worse.”
Timely Tasking
According to Brian Tracy, the real purpose of time management is to create time to live life at its best and to spend it with people that matter. He reminds us that we work so that we can afford a good life for our loved ones and ourselves. However, due to poor time management, even though we succeed in making a decent living, we rarely make a good life. Surplus time allows us to lead joyous lives. But this is only possible when work related responsibilities are taken care of. The book includes some powerful strategies for time management. They are easy to implement and are perfect for maintaining a balance between work and personal life.
“Rule: It is the quality of time at work that counts and the quantity of time at home that matters.”
Recommendation
Accredited as being the most accessible book on time management and personal productivity, this book owes its popularity and success to its easy-to-use methods. While there are many other books on the same subject, Eat That Frog is the simplest and yet the most effective of them all. Brian Tracy literally handholds the reader through the implementation process. The simplicity of the exercises ensures that the reader actively picks up the habits without resistance. Recommended as a great read, Eat That Frog is definitely a game-changer.
“If you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very long.”
