10 insights from eat that frog
1 “One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not to be done at all.”
We all can choose what we focus on. Prioritising tasks that do not yield a fruitful return should be shunned. All of our attention should be focused on tasks that improve our lives. This is where the Eisenhower matrix will come into play. Using it to workout what your ugliest fattest frogs are. Don’t know what that is? click here to find out.
2 “you cannot eat every tadpole and frog in the pond, but you can eat the biggest and ugliest one, and that will be enough, at least for the time being.”
Something I often struggle with myself, trying to juggle to many plates. You have to be selective and ruthless. Cut away the none sense and pick your frog. This does not have to be permanent but for now it will do. You are spending to much time picking from the menu, decide and then eat that frog.
3 “If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.”
This is another way of saying that if you have two important tasks before you, start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first.
I do believe it is in our nature to find the path of least resistance. Brian Tracy sums it up beautifully in this quote. Both frogs must be eat, so why not start with the hardest while you are fresh.
4 “Rule: Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.”
Rules carry more power then a mantra or preference. We have chosen it to benefit us and it is easier to stay accountable to them. Becoming stagnant in your field is certain death especially among fast paced sectors. If the greats of the past could learn even with all their power, then you owe it to yourself to follow suit.
5 “Everyone procrastinates. The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on.”
What I got from this, is that procrastination is on a spectrum. Not only with effort but in what we choose to procrastinate on. The highest achievers throughout history were human like us. They had our floors and some of the best procrastinated. How they managed to achieve in life, is by sorting out what can be done and what has to be done.
6 “People who take a long view of their lives and careers always seem to make much better decisions about their time and activities than people who give very little thought to the future.”
Pretty self explanatory, the one who plans for the future will be more prepared. Always examining your self gives you insights that help your direction. Having a plan for the future will keep you moving in the right direction and save time.
7 “The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous.”
Most of us know what we must do to improve. That YouTube channel, business, fitness have been put off until the perfect moment. The sad truth is that perfection will never come. The right time to act was yesterday. Once action has been taken then you can work on efficiency and creating systems to streamline the process.
8 “This is a wonderful time to be alive. There have never been more possibilities and opportunities for you to achieve more of your goals than exist today.”
We have super computers in our pockets. We have any information we please within seconds. The human race has never had it so easy. But with all of modern societies advances, it also creates distraction. You need to have discipline to use our modern resources and fight the temptation to procrastinate.
9 “Say no to anything that is not a high-value use of your time and your life.”
Carrying on from the quote before, we must say no to what does not benefit us. Expect more from yourself by not handing over your time to things that do not matter. You need to eat that frog before anything. That is your highest value task.
10 “The Key to Success is Action”
This short quote had a profound impact on me when I first read it all them years ago. Action trumps it all. You can have the perfect plan, the most creative idea but without action they are nothing. Anyone can talk the talk but it takes action to walk the walk.
I personally think this short book is Brian Tracy’s best. He does a great job of giving you bite size gems. They are actionable and straightforward. Thank you Brian Tracy for teaching us to eat our frogs.
