Eat that frog by Brian Tracy

"Eat that frog" by Brian Tracy - A masterpiece!

This edition of book was published by Berrett Koehler Publishers / Penguin Random House. This edition was published in 2018 and has 144 pages. 

This book provides 21 ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time.  Essentially time management!

'Frog' is the biggest, most important, hardest task, one that you are more likely to procrastinate, that you should do first, quickly and well every day. 

1 Set the table: Clarity is essential. Think on paper. 7 step plan. Decide what you want, write it down, set a deadline, make a list of everything you have to do to achieve your goal, organize list into plan, take action immediately, resolve to do something every day that takes you towards your goal. 

2 Plan every day in advance:

Make a master list of activities. Then prepare monthly, weekly and daily lists. Organize based on priority and sequence. Stay with end in mind and work backwards. 

3 Apply 80-20 rule (Pareto principal) to everything: 20% of activities will account for 80% of results. Resist temptation to clear up small things first. Hardest part of task is to get started. Often time required to complete important job is same as the one required to fo unimportant job. 

4 Consider the consequences: Long time perspective is single most important thing. Clear long term vision helps making right short term decision. Long term results are consequences of short term decisions. 

5 Practice the ABCDE method continually: Make a list of task. Prioritize as A must do (frog), B should do (tadpole), C nice to do, D can delegate, E can eliminate. Practice every day before start of work. 

6 Focus on key result areas: Ask why am I on tbe Pay role? Identify your key result areas (Typically planning, organizing, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, and reporting). Rate yourself in each of them. Your weakest key result area sets the height st which you can use all other skills and abilities.  People tend to avoid tasks in their weak area. This aggravates the situation. Ask what single skill if you develop and did in greatest fashion will have greatest positive impact on your career?

7 Obey the law of forced efficiency: There's never enough time to do everything but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. Average person works at 110-130 % efficiency. What are my highest value activities (at work, life)? What can I and only I do, that if done well, will make a difference? What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

8 Prepare thoroughly before you begin: No matter what the level of your ability, you have more potential than you can develop in your lifetime. Keep all the required things for the task in hand ready. Prepare in advance. Create a work area. Assume body language of high performer. Once you start, keep going until the job is over. 

9 Do your homework: The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be. Continually upgrade your skills in your area of strength. Continuous learning is key to success in any field. Read or listen for 30 to 60 minutes everyday, material that helps you professionally. The more you learn, the more you can learn. 

10 Leverage your special talents: Identify your unique talents and abilities. What is it that you most enjoy about your work? What do you do well?

11 Identify your key constraints: Why aren't you at your goal already? Identify the limiting factor and try to alleviate it. 

12 Take it one oil barrel at a time: One step at a time. Go as far as you see and you will see further. Leap and net will appear. Get started!

13 Put the pressure on yourself: Apply your energies to one problem incessantly. Don't wait for others. Become high performance, high achieving personality. 

14 Maximize your personal powers: Master at least one field. More tierd you get more mistakes you make. Find the time you are best at. Long hours is not effective work. Switch off TV and sleep at 10pm. A change is as good as a break. Take vacations. Watch what you eat. Exercise.

15 Motivated yourself into action: Talk to yourself. I can do it. Resolve to become a complete optimist. 

16 Practice creative procrastination: You can't do everything that you have to do. Procrastinate, outsource, delegate, eliminate lower value activity. Creative procrastination is act of thoughtfully and deliberately deciding upon exact things you are not going to do right now, if ever.

17 Do the most difficult task first: Make list of work to do. Identify most imp task. Clear work space. Start task.

18 Slice and dice the task: Salami slice method. Complete One slice at a time. Psychologically easy. You have urge to completion. Swiss cheese method. Punch a hole in task.

19 Create large chunks of time: Work in specific time segments. Plan your day in advance. Set aside 30-60-90 minutes for specific tasks and concentrated work without interruption. 

20 Develop a sense of urgency: Set priority. Get into state of 'flow'. Sense if urgency is an inner drive to get going and keep going at a steady rate. Repeat the words 'Do it now' and 'Back to work'.

 

21 Single handle every task: Once you get going, keep going. Tendency of staying and stopping a task can increase time to complete task by up to 500%. Don't waste time. Self dialaflight, Self mastery and Self control are basic building blocks of character and high performance. 

Author provides some interesting rules, principles, definitions in this book. I have enumerated a few here:

First rule of frog eating- If you have to eat too frogs, eat the ugliest one first. 

3Ds of new habit formation- Decision, discipline and determination are important qualities.

Self discipline- Make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. 

6P formula- Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

10-90 rule of personal effectiveness. Spend 10% time in planning and organizing work will help you 90% time in getting job done. 

Momentum principle of success: It takes tremendous amount of energy to get going initially, it takes fast less energy to keep going.

Author starts each chapter with a quote from various management gurus and time management experts like Augmentino, Peter Drucker, Napoleon Hill,  James Allen, Alan Lakein, William Mathews, Gandhiji etc..

The book is good and is a treasure. Author hads Done his job. But the devil lies in execution and implementation. Over to the reader.....

Why did I read this book? Author. Interesting title. 

What I didn't like?  Repetition of some points. 

What did I like? Everything else. 

Recommend reading.