What does Eat the Frog mean?

Are you tired of feeling unproductive and overwhelmed? Have you ever heard of the productivity technique known as Eat the Frog? The idea behind this technique is to tackle your most important and challenging task first thing in the morning, before you have a chance to procrastinate or become side-tracked.

This one habit alone can change your life. It forces you to focus on the task at hand and avoid distractions. Additionally, by getting your most important task done early in the day, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment that will carry you through the rest of the day.

But it's not just a productivity technique, it's a mindset that can change your life. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, was a master at time management and believed in the power of tackling the most important task first. He wrote in his famous autobiography, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." By rising early and getting to work on his most important task, Franklin was able to accomplish more in a day than most people could in a week.

Mark Manson, in his book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" writes "Most of us have an innate desire to do what feels good and avoid what doesn’t. But if you want to change your life, you’re going to have to start doing things that feel bad."

But, what if you're struggling to hold yourself accountable or you feel like you're not making progress?

How can you Eat the Frog to become more productive?

Start writing down your frog everyday and make sure you've completed the task so you're able to cross it off before you go to sleep and you’ll start to see your marginal gains compound.

The Evening Standard agreed with us when they featured The Evolve Journal in their list of 'Best wellness journals to help you get your act together in 2023'. They said 'We especially like the daily ‘Eat the Frog’ section – an area dedicated to identifying the day’s least attractive task (and forcing yourself to complete it first).' This is a critical part of having a successful daily productivity planner. 

How do you know which tasks are most important?

Often when you analyse someone's productivity they spend a lot of time focusing on tasks that are seemingly urgent but perhaps not most important. This can lead to frustration as there's a lot of work completed, but perhaps not the most valuable work. 

That's why we recommend using the Eisenhower Matrix to help you decide which task are important and therefore get the privilege of being the frog of the day.

Does Eat the Frog give you marginal gains?

The principle of marginal gains is your best friend. This principle, made famous by the British Cycling team, states that small improvements in multiple areas of your life can lead to significant overall improvement. Just think about the knock on effect Eat your Frog will have in other areas of your life.

Where would you be in 6 months if every single day your most important task was completed without fail? Every day you would do what the average person takes a week to complete. That's approximately 182 important tasks vs 26. 

So, if you're looking to boost your productivity and change your life, try Eat the Frog every day. And don't forget to apply the principle of marginal gains to other areas of your life.

Does Eat the Frog stop procrastination?

Just like a frog in gradually heated water, we often don't realise the danger of procrastination until it's too late. We may think we can handle putting off our most important task until later, but before we know it, we're in over our heads and it's too late to turn back. The key to avoiding this trap is to be aware of our tendency to procrastinate and to take action to prevent it, by setting a schedule and sticking to it, and by Eat the Frog every day.

But, don't just take my word for it. Imagine what your world would be like after six months of consistently completing Eat the Frog. Imagine the sense of accomplishment you'll feel, the progress you'll have made, and the doors that will have opened for you.

As the famous quote goes, "A year from now you may wish you had started today" by Karen Lamb.

So, don't wait any longer. Start Eating your Frogs today and see the difference it can make in your life. It may not be easy at first, but the rewards are worth it.