I was talking with a friend who I’d thought of as driven, motivated, and always on top of things. But he admitted that he often struggles with procrastination. What was his secret to overcoming it, I asked. He told me he eats the frog first.
The phrase “eat the frog first” was popularized by Brian Tracy in his 2001 book Eat That Frog! In the book, Tracy uses the metaphor of “eating a frog” to describe the act of tackling your most important, challenging, or unpleasant task first thing in the day. The idea is that once you’ve “eaten the frog,” the rest of your tasks will feel easier by comparison.
The phrase is often attributed to the famous author and humorist Mark Twain, who supposedly said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” He added that “if it’s your job to eat two frogs, eat the biggest one first.” In fact, Twain, may have “borrowed” the notion from Nicolas Chamfort, a French writer born a century before Twain.
Regardless of the term’s exact origin, eating the frog is solid, modern-day advice on how to stop procrastinating and become more productive. By tackling your toughest or most daunting task first, you set yourself up for a more productive day. When you put off a demanding task, it isn’t forgotten. Rather, it sits in the back of your mind, nagging you and diverting your energy. Even doing things you enjoy aren’t as fun when you know you should be working on the difficult task.
It reminds me how as a kid, I enjoyed my playtime so much more if I had already finished my homework. And now as an adult, I get the same good feeling when I file my tax returns well ahead of the April 15 deadline. It feels like my energy has doubled when that burden no longer weighs on my mind.
Think about what you have been putting off and just do it. You may never come to like eating frogs, but you will feel so much better when you do.
