"If you are like most people today, you are overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time." ~ Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog
Does that quote strike a chord with you at all? Seems to be showing up a lot lately. I'm working with many of my clients on the big, heavy tasks that must get done in order to move forward...but that they would rather, well, eat a frog than actually take care of. Brian Tracy's book illustrates a treacherous habit that we all exercise and that we could all could stand to break.
That habit is called procrastination. Maybe in general you're not a procrastinator, but how many times have you known you needed to take care of something big on your list and yet kept putting it off? Out of fear. Out of distaste. Out of the sheer size of the task. That is the exact habit that he talks about in his book. I want to share his top three tips to increase productivity and purpose.
Eat Your Frog
"It has been said for many years that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day." - Eat That Frog, pg. 2
Brian Tracy's genius advice comes in the form of a rather unsettling story, huh? What he is saying is that if you imagine your biggest task is that 'frog,' you have two choices. You can either sit all day looking at it on the edge of your desk, knowing you have to eat it OR you can just get it over with first. Wise man, this Brian Tracy.
So, pick your biggest task each day and 'eat your frog.' Finish it up first and this will help eliminate procrastination. Your remaining tasks will go quickly and with ease. Often, whatever you were worried about in the first place turns out to be minimal in comparison to what your mind made it out to be.
Focus on Key Result Areas
"'Why am I on the payroll'? This is one of the most important questions you ever ask and answer, over and over again, throughout your career." - Eat That Frog, pg. 35
What a key question to bring you clarity around your purpose! Tracy explains that those who know why they are on the payroll are more focused on results because they know what results are expected of them. Their role is defined and they are ready to achieve certain tasks.
Do you know why you are on the payroll? If you do, then list out the top 3 ways you contribute. Next define how you can be even more effective as you perform those tasks. Also, decide where you are not operating effectively and delegate those tasks. If you don't know why you are on payroll, then perhaps it's time to discuss your role with your boss. Asking for clarification is definitely a strength.
Slice and Dice the Task
"A major reason for procrastinating on big, important tasks is that they appear so large and formidable when you first approach them." - Eat That Frog, pg. 93
Tasks can often seem overwhelming when we aren't even sure of what the first step is. Because of this, we put it off, thinking that somehow we will get clarity and be ready to begin. Procrastination rarely helps in such cases. Tracy talks about breaking it down into manageable chunks. He calls this the 'salami-slice' technique. It's like eating an entire roll of salami, but doing it one slice at a time (as we are already used to doing).
Do your research to discover what small tasks make up that one big task you dread that is causing procratination issues. Create a time-line in which they all need to get done. Once you have a good expectation of what is involved, then begin to take bite-sized chunks each day to do. Immediately, that one giant task becomes much more manageable. Often the biggest task is simply figuring out what steps need to be taken to get it done!
Brian Tracy has 21 great tips in his book and I highly recommend this short read. Procrastination and feeling overwhelmed affects more than just your productivity. It affects your health, your family and your general outlook on life. Learn ways to manage your to-do list effectively and you free up time and space for more enjoyable things.
