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    Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
    Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
    Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
    Ebook149 pages2 hours

    Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

    By Brian Tracy

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Achieve work-life balance by conquering procrastination and get your most important work done, now with new chapters on technology and maintaining focus

    The fully revised and expanded edition of the global bestseller with over 3 million copies sold world-wide

    The saying goes: if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, then you're done with the toughest thing for the day. Eating that frog means tackling your most challenging task-and it's also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.

    Productivity and time management coach Brian Tracy shows you how to organize each day so you can zero in on these critical tasks and accomplish them efficiently and effectively.

    The 3 essentials of successful time management are decision, discipline, and determination, and Tracy shows you how to dial in these skills using 21 principles and techniques like:

    Single handle every task
    Upgrade your key skills
    Identify your key constraints
    Put the pressure on yourself
    Slice and dice the task

    This life-changing manual will ensure that you get more of your important tasks done today.

    Editor's Note

    New edition of a classic...

    We all know that prioritization is key to getting things done. But how? That's where this book comes in. Brian Tracy offers practical advice that you can implement immediately to make sure you tick off everything on your to-do list.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBerrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
    Release dateApr 17, 2017
    ISBN9781626569430
    Author

    Brian Tracy

    BRIAN TRACY is the Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. One of the top business speakers and authorities in the world today, he has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the United States and more than 60 countries worldwide. He has written 55 books and produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on management, motivation, and personal success.

    Read more from Brian Tracy

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    Reviews for Eat That Frog!

    4/5

    460 ratings37 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This was a nice refresher as it reminded me of my training I did with the Franklin Covey planners over 20 years ago. I have not been placing A's, B's and C's and then A1, A2 and so forth on my tasks. I was also doing the smaller quick tasks first to get them out of the way and then not leaving time for the big tasks. Not because I was procrastinating but I thought I could get more items checked off my list. I will now eat the nastiest frog first and know I will be more efficient. I will say, listening to this book was a little bit of a hoot as I could just picture the author sitting i a recliner with a table and lamp sitting next to him with a very old cassette tape recorder sitting on the table. The sound quality made the image happen. Even if you don't think you procrastinate, which I don't, this is a great reminder of what order things should happen to become more efficient.
    • 3/5
      Flipped through this one. It contains solid advice, but nothing particularly original. Good to review when you need a kick in the pants.
    • 4/5
      This is a concise and enjoyable set of personal success aphorisms oriented around the themes of time management and taking initiative. Tracy's overall point is that successful people get there bit by bit, by acting daily on the most important steps, and by getting rid of the mental and schedule clutter that aren't as important.
    • 3/5
      How to stop procrastinating so you can accomplish more and advance at twork.
    • 4/5
      I got to say when i looked as this very small book i was worried that was useless. But actually i read it in one hour and really liked the concise information. It is really a very good little book on ideas to help with procrastination
    • 3/5
      Well written but heard it all before. Short so a good refresher.
    • 4/5
      I read this book a long time ago, but the lessons stick with me. The lessons have helped me to procrastinate less than I'm normally inclined to. I'm still not as disciplined as I'd like to be, but I often tackle the most difficult or the biggest and ugliest frog on the list. I always get more done and in a more efficient way.
    • 4/5
      As a productivity and motivation manager, Eat That Frog! wins all around. The tips given in it are clear, actionable items, not bogged down by the psychology or theory behind them (though I will admit, that is sometimes nice to know), and the author has a thoroughly peppy, motivational-speaking tone.

      Truthfully, these were often the book's greatest weaknesses as well. I could have used a little more evidence (he often cites statistics, such as how starting and stopping a project can "increase the time necessary to complete the task by as much as 500 percent", curiously without any references to where he pulled that number) (110). Additionally, I am immediately suspicious of anyone who claims that he can "guarantee" that a reader who follows his advice will double their income within a month - which he does twice, once at the beginning and another later while relating a story of one of his clients who managed this. This approach may be motivational, but also had a distinctly slick salesman approach to it; testimonials and guarantees are pitfalls to the prudent-minded.

      In short, my impression of Eat That Frog is very similar to that I had to Dave Ramsay's Money Makeover - the salesman, "Try my product and see your life change, guaranteed!" approach was a turn-off, but there is good advice inside. Just take it with a grain of salt.
    • 5/5
      This is a short but valuable book. The concepts covered are important and well stated. I will try to apply them to my life. Most concepts are simple and perhaps are logical but often not followed. I strongly recommend this book.
    • 3/5
      Although this book is geared for leadership/management people, I found this just as valuable me as a retired person. It had some chapters that gave me some glimpse to my own shortcomings that when implemented will add purpose and value to my day.
    • 4/5
      Read for a workshop. Didn't particularly find any new ideas, but they were certainly presented in a memorable way.
    • 2/5
      A very generic self-help book that draws strongly on other self-help books. On the plus side, it lines up with a lot of my own personal views and was very short. On the negative side, my wife and daughter are already tired of me talking about eating frogs.
    • 4/5
      Concise roundup of tips.
    • 3/5
      The basic premise of this book is that you take the least favourite task you have to do in a given day and do it first thing. Get it over with. Quite good advice if you can follow it. There's more similar advice in this book on goal setting, achieving objectives and so on, but it does all feel a bit unoriginal.
    • 4/5
      Surprisingly non-awful. The closest thing to a motivational self-help book I want to read. Lots of good practical ideas, and it's short.
    • 4/5
      This book has lots of good ideas for time management and goal setting. Though there wasn't really any new information, it was a really nice refresher. The chapters were pretty short, so I felt like I was making progress every time I picked up this book to read some. I like the idea of "eating the frog" first.

      A few years ago, I mentioned this book (based only on what I read about it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble's website) during a short talk I gave at t Junior League board meeting about time management. I remember that the "eat the frog" part made several people chuckle. Now I wish I'd read the book beforehand, especially since I know now that it was a pretty quick read.
    • 3/5
      Good summary of timeless principles.
    • 5/5
      A great simple book that summarizes what you need to do to be productive and successful.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books in the Brian Tracy canon. No matter how many books you've read about productivity, this one is worth reading - and applying.
    • 4/5
      Good book. The given advice is pretty standard, but I will apply it to my everyday life.
    • 5/5
      Valuable Book with a lot actionable instruction/advise to improvise your life.
    • 5/5
      Great read & motivating to get to your tasks. Starting my days organized just after finishing this book
    • 5/5
      Very inspirational and instructive on how to manage your time whilst being more efficient and productive. Time Management is personal management.
    • 5/5
      It’s amazing. Non of the other books were liked than this one
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book, enjoying reading and feeling powerful and motivational already.
    • 5/5
      A great book that is easy to digest and read. Highly recommend for anyone that wants to increase the velocity of work in their lives and to determine the priority of work.
    • 5/5
      Great book, enjoyed it thoroughly. Short book on how to overcome procrastination.
    • 5/5
      An amazing book with great tips. Should listen to for a great life.
    • 5/5
      Good book and give short but practical tips on productivity.
    • 3/5
      This is a good, solid, well-written book on time management. Whether you are seeking to improve the management of your own time or empathize with others as they attempt to become better stewards of their own time, this book will say it all - in only 21 short chapters!

      Its central premise, that time is best managed by taking the hardest project on first, is a reliable and well-tested one. From this premise (put into a metaphor by eating a frog first), the entire book flows.

      As with any 100-to-150-page book, what it captures in its brevity, it leaves out in its depth. It does not dwell on these subjects for an extended outlay of pages. If that is what you want - a series of short "devotionals" on time management - this book is for you. If you want to dive into a topic in depth, this book is not for you; perhaps you should pick up something by Peter Drucker.

      The third edition (which I read) contains two helpful chapters on the time management of email - of pertinence to our society today. I like Mr. Tracy's contributions to discussion on these topics and welcome his insights into my practice.

    Book preview

    Eat That Frog! - Brian Tracy

    More Praise for Eat That Frog!

    "BEWARE: This book will have a profound impact on your working practices and the results you’ll achieve. Eat That Frog! challenges your working practices, it explains the self-discipline needed to succeed, and [it] firmly gets to the root cause of why people procrastinate. Then it effortlessly explains how to boost your productivity once and for all."

    —Micro Business Hub

    "If you find procrastination to be a consistent problem in your life, Eat That Frog! offers a concise and valuable collection of tactics to try. The reasons for each person’s procrastination are different, so it’s good that Tracy’s tactics are fairly diverse and attack many different avenues of procrastination."

    —The Simple Dollar

    "Eat That Frog! is my favourite book on productivity, and I often find myself rereading it in January to remind myself of the disciplines and practices I’d like to follow in the coming year. Each time I read the book, I find new nuggets of productivity gold."

    —Liz Gooster, Change for the Better

    Everyone has a frog, and eating that frog is the best thing you can do to stop procrastinating. Procrastination is a time-killer, and Tracy has a way of making getting over that frog fun and exciting. Every chapter presents a new idea, tip, and technique that will help you overcome that inner laziness that keeps you on the couch at night instead of in the gym.

    —Peanut Press

    "Eat That Frog!, small in pages but huge in content, offers a cure for the curse of modern-day living: procrastination. Even though the medicine sounds painful (bush tucker trail kind of stuff), it isn’t. Like you, I have read zillions of books—and most of the time I can’t remember anything that I have just read. Not with this one. I’m eating frogs daily and feeling better for it! I can’t recommend Eat That Frog! enough."

    —Corinna Richards, The Coaching Academy

    This book gave me the kick in the pants I needed to organize my to-do lists, plan my days, become more productive, and get focused.

    —Beth Anne Schwamberger, Brilliant Business Moms

    "Eat That Frog! is the most accessible book on time management and personal productivity—I recommend you read this one before you learn any particular time management system. There are tons of exercises and techniques that you can implement right away, and that is what I like the most about the book—it gives you actionable steps so you can start right away."

    —Thanh Pham, Asian Efficiency

    An impactful read. The 21 ways that [Tracy] shares are real game-changers, if you read with an eye towards self-improvement and an intention to make a change. I have benefited greatly from this book, and I highly recommend that you pick up your own copy today.

    —Chris Moore, Reflect on This

    We strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to manage her time well and also add value to herself in this competitive world.

    —The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

    I wasn’t expecting all that much from the book initially, as the whole ‘eating a frog’ seemed like some new age nonsense that didn’t really apply in real life. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The best thing about this book is that it actually tells you what you should do. It doesn’t just spout philosophy after philosophy about dreams and hope. It gives solid, practical advice that applies to pretty much every one—students, employees, stay-at-home moms, entrepreneurs, etc. Whether you’re having time management issues or not, I’d recommend you pick up this book. You’re sure to learn something useful from it.

    —Fab, Shocks and Shoes

    This book distinguishes itself from others of the same type by laying out specific guidelines for developing the self-discipline that allows you to start and complete important tasks in sequence. Each of the 21 chapters offers clear instructions and practice exercises to help you determine if you are making the best use of your time at any given moment. You’ll learn how to prepare yourself mentally and physically to tackle the task at hand, along with strategies for dividing it into manageable segments to keep you moving forward. You’ll even find out what to tell yourself to do if you’re having trouble getting started, or become distracted and need to get back on track.

    —Carnegie Library Business Librarians, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    OTHER BOOKS BY BRIAN TRACY

    Maximum Achievement

    Advanced Selling Strategies

    The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success

    21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

    Focal Point

    Victory!

    Create Your Own Future

    Goals!

    TurboStrategy

    Be a Sales Superstar

    Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

    Million Dollar Habits

    Time Power

    Getting Rich Your Own Way

    TurboCoach

    The Psychology of Selling

    Something for Nothing

    The Art of Closing the Sale

    Crunch Point

    The Way to Wealth

    Find Your Balance Point

    Eat That Frog!

    21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

    Brian Tracy

    Eat That Frog!

    Copyright © 2017 by Brian Tracy

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

    Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

    1333 Broadway, Suite 1000

    Oakland, CA 94612-1921

    Tel: (510) 817-2277, Fax: (510) 817-2278

    www.bkconnection.com

    Ordering information for print editions

    Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the Berrett-Koehler address above.

    Individual sales. Berrett-Koehler publications are available through most bookstores. They can also be ordered directly from Berrett-Koehler: Tel: (800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626; www.bkconnection.com Orders for college textbook/course adoption use. Please contact Berrett-Koehler: Tel: (800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626.

    Orders by U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers. Please contact Ingram Publisher Services, Tel: (800) 509-4887; Fax: (800) 838-1149; E-mail: customer. service@ingrampublisherservices.com; or visit www.ingrampublisherservices.com/ Ordering for details about electronic ordering.

    Berrett-Koehler and the BK logo are registered trademarks of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

    Third Edition

    Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-62656-941-6

    PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-942-3

    IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-943-0

    2017-1

    Designer: Beverly Butterfield, Girl of the West Productions

    Copyeditor: PeopleSpeak

    Indexer: Rachel Rice

    Cover designer: Irene Morris Design

    To my remarkable daughter Catherine, an amazing girl with a wonderful mind and an incredible future lying before her

    Contents

    Preface

    Introduction: Eat That Frog

    1  Set the Table

    2  Plan Every Day in Advance

    3  Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything

    4  Consider the Consequences

    5  Practice Creative Procrastination

    6  Use the ABCDE Method Continually

    7  Focus on Key Result Areas

    8  Apply the Law of Three

    9  Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin

    10  Take It One Oil Barrel at a Time

    11  Upgrade Your Key Skills

    12  Identify Your Key Constraints

    13  Put the Pressure on Yourself

    14  Motivate Yourself into Action

    15  Technology Is a Terrible Master

    16  Technology Is a Wonderful Servant

    17  Focus Your Attention

    18  Slice and Dice the Task

    19  Create Large Chunks of Time

    20  Develop a Sense of Urgency

    21  Single Handle Every Task

    Conclusion: Putting It All Together

    Notes

    Index

    Learning Resources of Brian Tracy International

    About the Author

    Preface

    Thank you for picking up this book. I hope these ideas help you as much as they have helped me and thousands of others. In fact, I hope this book changes your life forever.

    There is never enough time to do everything you have to do. You are literally swamped with work and personal responsibilities, endless e-mails, social media, projects, stacks of magazines to read, and piles of books you intend to get to one of these days—as soon as you get caught up.

    But the fact is that you are never going to get caught up. You will never get on top of your tasks. You will never get far enough ahead to be able to get to all those e-mails, books, magazines, and leisure-time activities that you dream of.

    And forget about solving your time management problems by becoming more productive. No matter how many personal productivity techniques you master, there will always be more to do than you can ever accomplish in the time you have available to you, no matter how much

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