Are you one of those people who eats the foulest items on your plate first, saving your favourites for last? Or do you dive straight in to enjoy the delicious bits? Leaving the dreaded task of eating those brussel sprouts or peas until the end?
This is the analogy referred to when we talk about “eating the frog”. This concept was coined by Mark Twain.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
Now in all probability, Twain wasn’t actually referring to eating a frog. It was more the idea of completing your most unwanted, difficult, tedious job before moving on to more enjoyable tasks.
Although the French may disagree that eating a frog is a yucky job, the method itself is actually a valid one. Here’s why…
Why Eating The Frog Is The Most Important Thing You Can Do Today
What Is The Frog?
When you start in the morning and look through your list of jobs, the frog is the one that you really, really don’t want to do. But it is also the one you need to do the most.
More often than not, it is a job so tedious, difficult or confusing that you keep pushing it to the bottom of your to-do list. Instead, you prioritise more enjoyable, but less important jobs.
Why Eating The Frog Is The First Thing You Should Do
Simply put, if you don’t do those tasks that are weighing you down, they are going to be in the back of your mind all day. They will probably go on to haunt you all night if you don’t complete them before the end of the day.
If the frog job hangs over you, then you will be less focused on the other jobs you are trying to do and less productive over time.
Tackling the hardest job (or jobs) first and successfully ticking them off your list is very satisfying, empowering and motivating. Eating the frog will make you feel relieved and get a boost of energy to help you fly through the rest of your jobs for the day.
Another benefit to putting the frog jobs at the top of your list is that you will be starting the day fresh, full of extra energy to tackle those troublesome ‘frogs.’
If you leave the frog until the afternoon or towards the end of the day when you are already fatigued and have a ton of other things on your mind, it’s going to be twice as hard.
Tricking Your Mind
Your mind is a tricky critter and has a thousand tricks to talk you out of doing the things you don’t want to do. But there are ways to outwit even your own procrastination!
Make eating the frog your top priority every day. Put it at the number one position on your list. Don’t give yourself time to talk yourself out of it and make excuses – just get it done.
Twain hit the nail right on the head by adding that after eating that big, ugly old frog first thing in the morning, you have the satisfaction of knowing that the worst part of your day is behind you.
If writing your business content is your frog, then you might need a bit of help. Often we put things off if we don’t know how to complete it with 100% of our ability.
If this is you, then you need to sign up for the Write It Right 100 – 100 content writing tips across 100 days, in less than 100 words.