Eat That Frog
Here is the list of principles mentioned by Brian in this book:
Principle #1 – Setting the Table
It is about finding out what you really want to finish and it has something to do with your objectives and goals in life. Two of the reasons why most people procrastinate are confusion and vagueness on the things they would like to do in their lives. He shared a 7-step formula that you can use in setting and reaching your goals, and those are the following:
Principle # 2 – Make a Plan Every Day Ahead
It is primarily about creating your to-do list. Just like with an elephant, you have to eat frogs one by one in just one bite. To become efficient and to achieve success in everything you do, it would be good if you will break your biggest tasks into smaller parts. This will give way for you to finish the job easily. Making a plan ahead of time is the key to overcome procrastination. The author introduces the 6-P formula designed for this principle: “Proper prior planning prevents poor performance”.
Principle #3 – Use the “80/20” Rule
This principle explains that a 20% of the activities you have accounts for the 80% of the results. The activities which give the highest return on your investment are the frogs. The most important tasks you have are the most difficult ones, so you have to consider whether the task you are going to do is included in the 20% task. The rule used by the author here is to “resist the attraction to solve small things first.”
Principle #4 – Think About the Consequences
Having future orientation will let you analyze the choices and it will turn your attitudes persistent with what you want to happen in your future. You have to figure out the probable consequences that you will experience when you do or you failed to do what must be accomplished. The governing rule in this principle is: “future target influences and usually determines the present actions”. When you are fully aware about your wants for you future, the things that you do at present will be clearer for you.
Principle # 5 – Practice and Use the ABCDE Strategy Continuously
This is a priority setting strategy that will assist you on how to become more effective and productive. The concept behind this strategy is when you invest more for the investment in setting and planning priorities, there will be more things that you can do and you can make them faster when you begin.
A is the frog or the task to be done, B is the mild consequences, C is the action that does not have any consequences, D is the thing which you could delegate to somebody and E is that something which you could eliminate, as it makes no difference anymore.
Principle # 6 – Focus on the Major Result Areas
This is related to focusing on the task that you do at this moment. Each task can be divided into “major result areas”. These results are the ones which you should aim for. You have to identify these areas and make a list of the responsibilities you have for each one of them. After that, you have to rate yourself from 1 to 10 for every result area. Determine your strengths and weaknesses, so that you know which you need to improve in yourself.
Principle # 7 – Follow the Forced Efficiency Law
People tend to become stressed out each time they procrastinate and while they think about the deadlines. When you start to panic, you make more mistakes than when you are calm while doing the task.
Principle # 8 – Prepare Everything Before You Start
Preparing everything you need prior to starting the job is the best way on how to achieve successful outcomes. You have to forget everything that is not useful and make a workspace where you will enjoy doing the task.
Principle # 9 – Do Your Assignments
Other reasons why people procrastinate are the negative feelings such as lack of self-reliance, feeling of lack, and poor competence within the main part of the task. To fight these problems, you have to work more and strive more to develop yourself.
Principle # 10 – Leverage the Special Talents You Have
You have to know what unique skills you have and you should begin to do some actions to develop them. This will fasten your improvement.
Principle # 11- Find Our Your Main Constraints
Limiting the factors that affect the way how you do well in doing the tasks you have is important. This is one of the most important paths to attain your goals. Find out these factors by determining what holds you back and concentrate on solving those factors if possible.
Principle # 12 – Take It as a 1 Oil Barrel at One Time
The meaning of this concept is that you have to go far as you could see and once you reach there, you will be able to see farther. Always have self confidence and the succeeding step will be clear.
Principle # 13 – Put Pressure to Encourage Yourself
To become efficient, you have to be capable in work with minimal to no supervision. According to the author of this book, there are only around 2% of people who have this capability. To achieve this, you have to set some standards which are superior than what others can do. It is all about self-confidence.
Principle #14 – Maximize the Personal Powers You Have
The mental, emotional and physical energies form your productivity and performance. Therefore, you have to improve the level of your energy. When you are tired, take time to rest and after that, you will be able to work and do more.
The general rule here is that a person’s capability to become productive declines after 8 to 9 hours every day. Find out the number of times you can do the best and be sure to use that times in facing the “frogs”.
Principle # 15 – Encourage Yourself to Move
This is about managing your thoughts, then motivating your own self through acting as a coach. The way you take your own self will determine the emotional responses you have. On the other hand, the way you interpret the things that happen to your life will determine the feelings you have. Be optimistic.
Principle # 16 – Practice and Apply Creative Procrastination
It is the personal performance principle that will teach you about the way to face smaller and less ugly “frogs”. It is about setting your priorities which could be something that you do often, then setting “posteriorities” which is something that you do seldom. The rule here is that you could set your life and time under your control to the extent where you stop less valuable activities.
Principle # 17 – Perform the Most Complex First
It is the most difficult principle for the reason that you have to “eat the frog”. To become effective and to help yourself improve, you should think about the most difficult tasks to be done first.
Principle # 18 – Slice then Dice Your Task
To achieve success in doing a big task, you should divide the task you have into smaller ones, then do it one by one. In doing so, you will be able to perform your task better and more effectively.
Principle # 19 – Make Big Time Chunks
This is about making a schedule of the large task which you need to do. In making significant development on the tasks you need to do, you have to make a schedule when you need to be more productive. The best thing to do here is to plan the task to be done ahead, then make a schedule of fixed time blocks.
Principle # 20 – Practice a Sense of Importance
The main objective here is to become action-oriented. The sense of importance is the inner drive to start the job fast and finish it right away. Take time to consider and make priorities and then start to do something to achieve them.
Principle # 21 – Single Hand Each Task
This is about focusing on a single task every time you have to do something. To become more efficient, you should focus on one project or task at a time and finish it before you proceed on the next one. Hard concentrated job precedes each great achievement that will come your way. You need to have discipline to achieve successful outcomes.
These principles will help you become more efficient and productive. Apply these principles in your every day work to see the benefits.
