What do you think?
Rate this book
Eat That Frog! Action Workbook: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastination and Get More Done in Less Time
The workbook version of this international bestseller guides you through getting more of the important things done. You'll stop procrastinating and start eating those frogs in no time!There's an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you're done with the worst thing you'll have to do all day. For Brian Tracy, eating a frog is a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task—but also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.Eat That Frog! shows you how to organize each day so you can zero in on these critical tasks and accomplish them efficiently and effectively. The core of what is vital to effective time management decision, discipline, and determination. This workbook puts the ideas of the original book into action. By following the same twenty-one-chapter format as the book, each chapter includes exercises for you to reflect on your own habits. You'll also learn through the experience of a narrative character who is struggling with procrastination in her work and home life and uses Eat That Frog! to improve her time management performance.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2023
835 people are currently reading
4039 people want to read
About the author
Brian Tracy
1,425 books5,115 followersBrian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.
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 US, Canada and 55 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.
Brian has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 45 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.
He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, best-selling Psychology of Achievement, which has been translated into more than 20 languages.
He speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America's largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Self-Esteem, Goals, Strategy, Creativity and Success Psychology bring about immediate changes and long-term results.
Prior to founding his company, Brian Tracy International, Brian was the Chief Operating Officer of a $265 million dollar development company. He has had successful careers in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, importation, distribution and management consulting. He has conducted high level consulting assignments with several billion-dollar plus corporations in strategic planning and organizational development.
He has traveled and worked in over 80 countries on six continents, and speaks four languages. Brian is happily married and has four children. He is active in community and national affairs, and is the President of three companies headquartered in San Diego, California.
His most popular training programs are centered around teaching authors how to write a book and helping public speakers create successful careers.
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 US, Canada and 55 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.
Brian has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 45 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.
He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, best-selling Psychology of Achievement, which has been translated into more than 20 languages.
He speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America's largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Self-Esteem, Goals, Strategy, Creativity and Success Psychology bring about immediate changes and long-term results.
Prior to founding his company, Brian Tracy International, Brian was the Chief Operating Officer of a $265 million dollar development company. He has had successful careers in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, importation, distribution and management consulting. He has conducted high level consulting assignments with several billion-dollar plus corporations in strategic planning and organizational development.
He has traveled and worked in over 80 countries on six continents, and speaks four languages. Brian is happily married and has four children. He is active in community and national affairs, and is the President of three companies headquartered in San Diego, California.
His most popular training programs are centered around teaching authors how to write a book and helping public speakers create successful careers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
March 23, 2018
Good, compact book with useful tips, and easy, understandable language. Some of the main ideas:
- the key to success is action
- eat your frog early in the morning, so you can be over the worst thing that can happen to you on that day. Whatever will come later, it will most probably be an easier task than eating a live frog. Your frog is your biggest, hardest, most important task which you are most likely to procrastinate during the day.
- if you have to eat more frogs, eat the ugliest first
- the habit of completing hard tasks can be learned, and will have a powerful effect on your life. It gives you consciousness, confidence and happiness. The biggest your frog is, the more amount of energy you can gain from it. :)
- write down your goals + manage to-do lists in order to achieve your goals + organize them in the form of an action plan (break down your goals into individual tasks)
- long term thinking improves short term decision making
- successful people have a clear future orientation
- short term struggle and long term reward vs. short term rewards and long term struggle
- define what is holding you back
- do something, do anything, but get started
- actually some of the author's suggestions surprised me, especially the ones recommending that when something is hard to do, you should repeat endlessly to yourself that you can do it, you can do it, you can do it... It's childish and non-scientific, not even pragmatic.
- the funniest part was by the end of the book: besides the Pomodoro-technique, use the Salami-method and the Swiss cheese-method to slice your frog into smaller chunks. :))
Unfortunately the author performs weak as an audiobook reader, because has an annoying voice.
- the key to success is action
- eat your frog early in the morning, so you can be over the worst thing that can happen to you on that day. Whatever will come later, it will most probably be an easier task than eating a live frog. Your frog is your biggest, hardest, most important task which you are most likely to procrastinate during the day.
- if you have to eat more frogs, eat the ugliest first
- the habit of completing hard tasks can be learned, and will have a powerful effect on your life. It gives you consciousness, confidence and happiness. The biggest your frog is, the more amount of energy you can gain from it. :)
- write down your goals + manage to-do lists in order to achieve your goals + organize them in the form of an action plan (break down your goals into individual tasks)
- long term thinking improves short term decision making
- successful people have a clear future orientation
- short term struggle and long term reward vs. short term rewards and long term struggle
- define what is holding you back
- do something, do anything, but get started
- actually some of the author's suggestions surprised me, especially the ones recommending that when something is hard to do, you should repeat endlessly to yourself that you can do it, you can do it, you can do it... It's childish and non-scientific, not even pragmatic.
- the funniest part was by the end of the book: besides the Pomodoro-technique, use the Salami-method and the Swiss cheese-method to slice your frog into smaller chunks. :))
Unfortunately the author performs weak as an audiobook reader, because has an annoying voice.
September 15, 2020
Eating frogs was never this easy! What I liked about his book that it simply explains that Procrastinating comes within the self and only you've got the power to overcome yourself to reach your goals. It is all about setting clear achievable goals and taking giant steps towards success. No matter how much the task or concern is greater than you, start with it and do not let things get into the way. Also, focusing on your dreams and work will support your progress with less disturbance. Personally, I cut off a lot of social media and destruction from my life a long time ago, but this book came into my way as a good reminder to focus even better and watch the progress.
August 8, 2022
This book could’ve been a tweet.
May 25, 2022
I really wanted to go into this book with an open mind, and I hope that I was at least somewhat successful in that. However, my negative assumptions going into the book were unfortunately accurate. Brian Tracy lays out a variety of helpful tips, tricks, and suggested attitude changes to help us increase our productivity. But all this advice comes from a similar perspective: making money, and making a lot of it, is the most best way to determine success.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some helpful tips in the book, specifically in regards to how Tracy recommends we avoid using technology as a constant distraction. However, they are all overshadowed by the undertones of the book. According to Tracy, there are winners and there are losers. There are superior thinkers, and there are inferior thinkers. In the book, the superior people are people that utilize Tracy’s methods and are more (financially) successful and productive in their careers. Losers are people that waste time drinking coffee in the morning and chit chatting with coworkers when they really should be working. I’m not saying there is no merit to the advice Tracy gives us, but I think it gives people a very narrow view of success.
In addition, I think he vastly oversimplifies the swiftness with which his suggestions will yield results. He describes a situation in which someone he knew walked into their supervisors office, and said that since they could half their tasks and double their output, their salary should be doubled. According to the retelling Tracy gives us, the supervisor simply agrees without pushback. What?? His advice is also slightly contradictory. He recommends breaking up tasks and tackling them in small sections, but says that we should complete our tasks with a sense of urgency just a few chapters later.
Like I said, there were good suggestions sprinkled in throughout the book. But even the sound advice was something you could find in a 30-second google search on how to boost productivity. It’s entirely possible that I went into this book with too much of a critical eye, but regardless I just don’t think Tracy and I subscribe to the same definition of success.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some helpful tips in the book, specifically in regards to how Tracy recommends we avoid using technology as a constant distraction. However, they are all overshadowed by the undertones of the book. According to Tracy, there are winners and there are losers. There are superior thinkers, and there are inferior thinkers. In the book, the superior people are people that utilize Tracy’s methods and are more (financially) successful and productive in their careers. Losers are people that waste time drinking coffee in the morning and chit chatting with coworkers when they really should be working. I’m not saying there is no merit to the advice Tracy gives us, but I think it gives people a very narrow view of success.
In addition, I think he vastly oversimplifies the swiftness with which his suggestions will yield results. He describes a situation in which someone he knew walked into their supervisors office, and said that since they could half their tasks and double their output, their salary should be doubled. According to the retelling Tracy gives us, the supervisor simply agrees without pushback. What?? His advice is also slightly contradictory. He recommends breaking up tasks and tackling them in small sections, but says that we should complete our tasks with a sense of urgency just a few chapters later.
Like I said, there were good suggestions sprinkled in throughout the book. But even the sound advice was something you could find in a 30-second google search on how to boost productivity. It’s entirely possible that I went into this book with too much of a critical eye, but regardless I just don’t think Tracy and I subscribe to the same definition of success.
January 29, 2023
Review to come!
August 25, 2022
This book is just a poorly rephrased version of "Make Time" and "The Compound effect ". Highly disappointing.
November 24, 2022
There's a lot of interesting ideas in this book. Unfortunately, it doesn't explore many of the interesting ideas and instead goes really deep on shallow and unhelpful advice, for example, you can get so much done if you just yell at yourself "back to work!" when you feel yourself getting distracted (it had a whole chapter on this and just repeated six or seven times that you need to just yell at yourself). One of the interesting ideas is that Warren Buffett said one thing that's got him really far is learning how to say "no". And that was all the author addressed. Well there's a lot to unpack there that isn't discussed. How do you respectfully tell people no? Where do you draw the line with things you're being asked to do? How do you navigate being a team player and deliver satisfied customers if you're saying no? I think it's great advice but it has to be described in depth, which it unfortunately was not.
Some of my favorite principles were
80/20 rule: 80% of your problems come from 20% of your accounts. Spend most of your time in the 20% of accounts to get the most done!
The rule of three: Determine the three tasks you do that bring the most value to your organization. Find ways to delegate, automate, or eliminate all other tasks.
Create large chunks of time: Organize your day so you're focusing on one thing for a few hours and then you can move on to the next task. It takes a long time to refocus if you're getting constantly distracted. I've been trying this principle and it's transformed my days. Instead of letting myself be reactive to what people are asking for all day I've been dedicating each day of the week to two or three tasks so I focus my time and give standardization and consistency to each task.
If I were to write the principle for saying no (since this book did not), I would say that there are many people demanding your attention all day long. If you let them think you are their personal secretary then they will treat you as such. Don't say no to every ask but have the confidence to determine what is helpful to your organization and what is not. The three main groups demanding my attention are: customers, sales reps, and management.
1. When talking with customers, remember that the customer is not always right. Let them make whatever outrageous demands they want. Know your industry and your craft well enough to respectfully call their BS and give them expectations. Don't say that you'll look into every tiny concern and get back to them with every request. Just answer their questions and point them in the right direction.
2. Sales reps will walk all over you if they know you'll do everything for them. Show them where they can find the resources they need and give them other people's phone numbers instead of telling them you'll check for them. Tell them you'll be ready to take care of the logistics after they do everything on their end. Tell them to seek answers from their sales managers and support sources.
3. Management is difficult to say no to. Make sure you start with a foundation of showing them they can trust you with the decisions you make. Remind them of your scope of work and how you can most efficiently use your time. If you accept a task, make it clear that you will delegate that task.
The overall principle of the book to "eat that frog", is a great reminder of how to pull all of these principles together. Just get crap done. Face problems head on (ones that fall within your scope of work). Identify the hairiest and most difficult thing you can do today and tackle that before anything else.
Some of my favorite principles were
80/20 rule: 80% of your problems come from 20% of your accounts. Spend most of your time in the 20% of accounts to get the most done!
The rule of three: Determine the three tasks you do that bring the most value to your organization. Find ways to delegate, automate, or eliminate all other tasks.
Create large chunks of time: Organize your day so you're focusing on one thing for a few hours and then you can move on to the next task. It takes a long time to refocus if you're getting constantly distracted. I've been trying this principle and it's transformed my days. Instead of letting myself be reactive to what people are asking for all day I've been dedicating each day of the week to two or three tasks so I focus my time and give standardization and consistency to each task.
If I were to write the principle for saying no (since this book did not), I would say that there are many people demanding your attention all day long. If you let them think you are their personal secretary then they will treat you as such. Don't say no to every ask but have the confidence to determine what is helpful to your organization and what is not. The three main groups demanding my attention are: customers, sales reps, and management.
1. When talking with customers, remember that the customer is not always right. Let them make whatever outrageous demands they want. Know your industry and your craft well enough to respectfully call their BS and give them expectations. Don't say that you'll look into every tiny concern and get back to them with every request. Just answer their questions and point them in the right direction.
2. Sales reps will walk all over you if they know you'll do everything for them. Show them where they can find the resources they need and give them other people's phone numbers instead of telling them you'll check for them. Tell them you'll be ready to take care of the logistics after they do everything on their end. Tell them to seek answers from their sales managers and support sources.
3. Management is difficult to say no to. Make sure you start with a foundation of showing them they can trust you with the decisions you make. Remind them of your scope of work and how you can most efficiently use your time. If you accept a task, make it clear that you will delegate that task.
The overall principle of the book to "eat that frog", is a great reminder of how to pull all of these principles together. Just get crap done. Face problems head on (ones that fall within your scope of work). Identify the hairiest and most difficult thing you can do today and tackle that before anything else.
February 18, 2025
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Author: Brian Tracy
Genre: Self-help
Moods: Reflective
Pace: Fast
The main idea is about overcoming procrastination and managing time effectively by tackling the most challenging task first. The title comes from a Mark Twain quote suggesting that if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, the most difficult part is done and the rest of the day will be easier.
Rooted in this metaphor, the book distills time management into 21 actionable principles. Its core message: prioritize effectively to achieve more with less stress.
Strengths:
Actionable advises
Brevity and clarity
Weakness:
Lack of Original ideas
Rigid Structure
Outdated Context
My Rating: 3/5
Author: Brian Tracy
Genre: Self-help
Moods: Reflective
Pace: Fast
The main idea is about overcoming procrastination and managing time effectively by tackling the most challenging task first. The title comes from a Mark Twain quote suggesting that if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, the most difficult part is done and the rest of the day will be easier.
Rooted in this metaphor, the book distills time management into 21 actionable principles. Its core message: prioritize effectively to achieve more with less stress.
Strengths:
Actionable advises
Brevity and clarity
Weakness:
Lack of Original ideas
Rigid Structure
Outdated Context
My Rating: 3/5
October 13, 2023
يا أخي ١١ ساعة من الرغي المتواصل وفي الآخر (قسم التاسكات من المهم للأقل أهمية وأبدا شغل وبطل تستهبل)
فشكرًا!
فشكرًا!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2024
A short book on giving tips to stop procrastinating. 20% in, I had hopes that the book will give me other helpful options to stop procrastinating. I knew and have done 90% of the tips offered. They are good tips, I just wait until last minute to do them. For instance, making a list and prioritizing what needs to be done first. I am organized, I just hold off doing things. This is a great book for people who may not have tried some of the tips.
March 9, 2019
I listened to a respected friend and colleague talk about this book at a staff training meeting so I knew it would have some sensible information in it. It does everything it sets out to do and gives 21 tips for not procrastinating and getting on with stuff. I like to think I am pretty organised so I read it full of smugness thinking "yep do that .. do that.." type thing. It includes a bit about knowing what you really want to achieve and how to get clarity which makes sense. It has useful summaries at the end of each chapter and at the back. To be honest though, it is a slim book and could be even slimmer as none of it is rocket science. I reckon Brain Tracy has done well to sell 1.6 million copies. So it is simple, straightforward and does what it says it will do. That in itself is a good advert I guess. I don't personally like the frog metaphor, but it is memorable so all good. Useful to have on the shelf and give to people who are procrastinating or can't get themselves organised. I can see how it could be used for tutorial lesson planing on time management, but as I'm no longer a teacher, I won't worry about doing that!
March 31, 2022
Anyways, its an average read . But something which I needed to keep up the drive.
Few things which I liked about the book
1. Once You Get Going, Keep Going
2. Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.”
Start where you stand, and work with whatever
tools you may have at your command, and
better tools will be found as you go along.
napoleon hill
3. Resolve today to create zones of silence during your
day-to-day activities. Turn off all communication devices
and technology for one hour in the morning and one
hour in the afternoon. You will be amazed at what happens: nothing!
4. Keep your mind positive by accepting complete responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you. Refuse to criticize others, complain, or blame others for anything.
5. Resolve to make progress rather than excuses.
6. The three D's for focus and determination
->decision
->discipline
->determination
7. 7 steps to eat the ugliest frog
-> take the correct ladder
->write down things/goal
-> keep a deadline/sub deadline
->make all extensive/exhaustive lists
->prioritize your goals/tasks list
->take actions
->keep a daily check to achieve/ become nearer to your goal
Few things which I liked about the book
1. Once You Get Going, Keep Going
2. Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.”
Start where you stand, and work with whatever
tools you may have at your command, and
better tools will be found as you go along.
napoleon hill
3. Resolve today to create zones of silence during your
day-to-day activities. Turn off all communication devices
and technology for one hour in the morning and one
hour in the afternoon. You will be amazed at what happens: nothing!
4. Keep your mind positive by accepting complete responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you. Refuse to criticize others, complain, or blame others for anything.
5. Resolve to make progress rather than excuses.
6. The three D's for focus and determination
->decision
->discipline
->determination
7. 7 steps to eat the ugliest frog
-> take the correct ladder
->write down things/goal
-> keep a deadline/sub deadline
->make all extensive/exhaustive lists
->prioritize your goals/tasks list
->take actions
->keep a daily check to achieve/ become nearer to your goal
Read
December 27, 2021I first picked this book up so that I could stop procrastinating at home. There is a lot to take in from this book, so I recommend reading this book over a course of a few days, rather than reading it in one day as I did. After reading this book, I learned many things and tips to get more work done in less time. Although this book was meant for businessmen and for older people, this book was very easy to relate to my daily life, which helped me realize and connect more to the book. This book taught me various ways to stop procrastinating and the science behind it. I learned to deal with the most important task first and to plan out what I had to get done the day before. I also learned that focus was important to getting work done, and technology could be affecting that factor. This book was very straightforward and was easy to read, therefore making it easy to understand within a small amount of time. I recommend this book to people who want to be successful and want to stop procrastinating.
October 11, 2020
As a book recommended to me by my teacher the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that it was about procrastination. My teacher gave me a list of books to read because something I particularly struggle with is procrastination. As a student I constantly have a work load and this book taught me many different ways to look at my work to try not to procrastinate. For, example one of the main ideas to not procrastinate is to "Eat that Frog". One saying goes that if you eat a frog for breakfast, you won't be eating anything else later. This tells you to start with the hardest task you have first and then you'll have an easier road to go down later. This is one good tip among many which I found very helpful and will try to incorporate throughout my life.
February 4, 2023
"Step one: Decide exactly what you want. Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are crystal clear about what is expected of you and in what order of priority. It is amazing how many people are working away, day after day, on low-value tasks because they have not had this critical discussion with their managers.
One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all.
Stephen Covey says, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster"
"Step two: Write it down. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. On the other hand, a goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it. Unwritten goals lead to confusion, vagueness, misdirection, and numerous mistakes."
"Step three: Set a deadline on your goal; set subdeadlines if necessary. A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. It has no real beginning or end. Without a definite deadline accompanied by the assignment or acceptance of specific responsibilities for completion, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done."
"Step four: Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective. It gives you a track to run on. It dramatically increases the likelihood that you will achieve your goal as you have defined it and on schedule."
"Step five: Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. List all tasks in the order they need to be done. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. Decide what has to be done before something else and what needs to be done afterward."
"Even better, lay out your plan visually in the form of a series of boxes and circles on a sheet of paper, with lines and arrows showing the relationship of each task to every other task. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to achieve your goal when you break it down into individual tasks."
"Step six: Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done. For you to achieve any kind of success, execution is everything."
"Step seven: Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. Build this activity into your daily schedule. You may decide to read a specific number of pages on a key subject. You may call on a specific number of prospects or customers. You may engage in a specific period of physical exercise. You may learn a certain number of new words in a foreign language. Whatever it is, you must never miss a day."
"Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don’t stop. This decision, this discipline alone, can dramatically increase your speed of goal accomplishment and boost your personal productivity."
"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.
ALAN LAKEIN"
"It takes only about 10 to 12 minutes for you to plan your day, but this small investment of time will save you up to two hours (100 to 120 minutes) in wasted time and diffuse effort throughout the day"
"Always work from a list. When something new comes up, add it to the list before you do it. You can increase your productivity and output by 25 percent or more—about two hours a day—from the first day that you begin working consistently from a list."
"The more time you take to make written lists of everything you have to do, in advance, the more effective and efficient you will be."
"You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do sometime in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea and every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can sort out the items later.
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list.
Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire week in advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go through the current week."
"You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do sometime in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea and every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can sort out the items later.
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list"
"One of the most important rules of personal effectiveness is the 10/90 Rule. This rule says that the first 10 percent of time that you spend planning and organizing your work before you begin will save you as much as 90 percent of the time in getting the job done once you get started. You only have to try this rule once to prove it to yourself."
"1. Begin today to plan every day, week, and month in advance. Take a notepad or sheet of paper (or use your smartphone) and make a list of everything you have to do in the next twenty-four hours. Add to your list as new items come up. Make a list of all your projects, the big multitask jobs that are important to your future.
2. Lay out all of your major goals, projects, and tasks by priority, what is most important, and by sequence, what has to be done first, what comes second, and so forth. Start with the end in mind and work backward.
Think on paper! Always work from a list. You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you become and how much easier it is to eat your frog."
"Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well."
"The clearer you are about your future intentions, the greater influence that clarity will have on what you do in the moment. With a clear long-term vision, you are much more capable of evaluating an activity in the present to ensure that it is consistent with where you truly want to end up."
"What this means is that you will never be caught up. Get that wishful idea out of your mind. All you can hope for is to be on top of your most important responsibilities. The others will just have to wait."
"Here is one of the greatest questions you will ever ask and answer. “What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?”"
"a financial and career goal; second, a family or personal relationship goal; and third, a health or fitness goal."
"1. What are your three most important business or career goals right now?
2. What are your three most important family or relationship goals right now?
3. What are your three most important financial goals right now?
4. What are your three most important health goals right now?
5. What are your three most important personal and professional development goals right now?
6. What are your three most important social and community goals right now?
7. What are your three biggest problems or concerns in life right now?"
"Identify your most important goal in life today. What is it? What one goal, if you achieved it, would have the greatest positive effect on your life? What one career accomplishment would have the greatest positive impact on your work life?
2. Determine the one constraint, internal or external, that sets the speed at which you accomplish this goal. Ask, “Why haven’t I reached it already? What is it in me that is holding me back?” Whatever your answers, take action immediately. Do something. Do anything, but get started.
"
"You should talk to yourself positively all the time to boost your self-esteem. Say, “I like myself! I like myself!” over and over until you begin to believe it and behave like a person with a high-performance personality.
To keep yourself motivated and to overcome feelings of doubt or fear, continually tell yourself, “I can do it! I can do it!” When people ask you how you are, always tell them, “I feel terrific!”"
"1. Resolve today to create zones of silence during your day-to-day activities. Turn off your computer and your smartphone for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. You will be amazed at what happens: nothing.
2. Resolve to unplug from technology for one full day each week. By the end of your digital detox, your mind will be calm and clear. When your mental batteries have time to recharge, you will be much more effective at eating frogs."
One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all.
Stephen Covey says, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster"
"Step two: Write it down. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. On the other hand, a goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it. Unwritten goals lead to confusion, vagueness, misdirection, and numerous mistakes."
"Step three: Set a deadline on your goal; set subdeadlines if necessary. A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. It has no real beginning or end. Without a definite deadline accompanied by the assignment or acceptance of specific responsibilities for completion, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done."
"Step four: Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective. It gives you a track to run on. It dramatically increases the likelihood that you will achieve your goal as you have defined it and on schedule."
"Step five: Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. List all tasks in the order they need to be done. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. Decide what has to be done before something else and what needs to be done afterward."
"Even better, lay out your plan visually in the form of a series of boxes and circles on a sheet of paper, with lines and arrows showing the relationship of each task to every other task. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to achieve your goal when you break it down into individual tasks."
"Step six: Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done. For you to achieve any kind of success, execution is everything."
"Step seven: Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. Build this activity into your daily schedule. You may decide to read a specific number of pages on a key subject. You may call on a specific number of prospects or customers. You may engage in a specific period of physical exercise. You may learn a certain number of new words in a foreign language. Whatever it is, you must never miss a day."
"Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don’t stop. This decision, this discipline alone, can dramatically increase your speed of goal accomplishment and boost your personal productivity."
"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.
ALAN LAKEIN"
"It takes only about 10 to 12 minutes for you to plan your day, but this small investment of time will save you up to two hours (100 to 120 minutes) in wasted time and diffuse effort throughout the day"
"Always work from a list. When something new comes up, add it to the list before you do it. You can increase your productivity and output by 25 percent or more—about two hours a day—from the first day that you begin working consistently from a list."
"The more time you take to make written lists of everything you have to do, in advance, the more effective and efficient you will be."
"You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do sometime in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea and every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can sort out the items later.
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list.
Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire week in advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go through the current week."
"You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do sometime in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea and every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can sort out the items later.
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list"
"One of the most important rules of personal effectiveness is the 10/90 Rule. This rule says that the first 10 percent of time that you spend planning and organizing your work before you begin will save you as much as 90 percent of the time in getting the job done once you get started. You only have to try this rule once to prove it to yourself."
"1. Begin today to plan every day, week, and month in advance. Take a notepad or sheet of paper (or use your smartphone) and make a list of everything you have to do in the next twenty-four hours. Add to your list as new items come up. Make a list of all your projects, the big multitask jobs that are important to your future.
2. Lay out all of your major goals, projects, and tasks by priority, what is most important, and by sequence, what has to be done first, what comes second, and so forth. Start with the end in mind and work backward.
Think on paper! Always work from a list. You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you become and how much easier it is to eat your frog."
"Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well."
"The clearer you are about your future intentions, the greater influence that clarity will have on what you do in the moment. With a clear long-term vision, you are much more capable of evaluating an activity in the present to ensure that it is consistent with where you truly want to end up."
"What this means is that you will never be caught up. Get that wishful idea out of your mind. All you can hope for is to be on top of your most important responsibilities. The others will just have to wait."
"Here is one of the greatest questions you will ever ask and answer. “What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?”"
"a financial and career goal; second, a family or personal relationship goal; and third, a health or fitness goal."
"1. What are your three most important business or career goals right now?
2. What are your three most important family or relationship goals right now?
3. What are your three most important financial goals right now?
4. What are your three most important health goals right now?
5. What are your three most important personal and professional development goals right now?
6. What are your three most important social and community goals right now?
7. What are your three biggest problems or concerns in life right now?"
"Identify your most important goal in life today. What is it? What one goal, if you achieved it, would have the greatest positive effect on your life? What one career accomplishment would have the greatest positive impact on your work life?
2. Determine the one constraint, internal or external, that sets the speed at which you accomplish this goal. Ask, “Why haven’t I reached it already? What is it in me that is holding me back?” Whatever your answers, take action immediately. Do something. Do anything, but get started.
"
"You should talk to yourself positively all the time to boost your self-esteem. Say, “I like myself! I like myself!” over and over until you begin to believe it and behave like a person with a high-performance personality.
To keep yourself motivated and to overcome feelings of doubt or fear, continually tell yourself, “I can do it! I can do it!” When people ask you how you are, always tell them, “I feel terrific!”"
"1. Resolve today to create zones of silence during your day-to-day activities. Turn off your computer and your smartphone for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. You will be amazed at what happens: nothing.
2. Resolve to unplug from technology for one full day each week. By the end of your digital detox, your mind will be calm and clear. When your mental batteries have time to recharge, you will be much more effective at eating frogs."
January 12, 2023
- Eat that frog = do most important (and hardest) task first during the day.
- There will be always more do be done that can be done. Don't try to "increase" productivity, prioritize and eliminate.
- It's the quality of work and quantity of family time that matters.
21 ways:
1. Define your goals and write them down
2. Create plans for what you'll work on
3. Focus on your 20% tasks
4. Think long-term to make better short-term decisions
5. Procrastinate on 80% of less important tasks
6. Use the ABCDE method - categorize tasks in A (must do), B (should do), C (nice to do), D (delegate), E (eliminate)
7. Understand exactly what work you're accountable for
8. When it's time to work, work
9. Prepare for your work before you start on it - make your workplace appealing
10. Focus on one task at a time
11. Develop your skills - spend 1h/day on improving skills
12. Use your strengths
13. Identify the things that are holding you back - blockers in performing tasks you do often
14. Find your motivation - put deadlines on your tasks
15. Make the most of your energy levels - sleep, healthy eating and exercise
16. Become an optimist - dismiss the thoughts that tell you it's not worth continuing to work toward a goal after you run into delays, problems, or disappointments
17. Don't let technology distract you - work in blocks of time when you don't check social media, emails, etc.
18. Break your tasks down to their smallest possible components - define the next action, and do it
19. Schedule time on your calendar for eating your frogs
20. Find your flow
21. Work on a task until it's complete - when you stop working on a task to focus on something else, it increases the amount of time it will take you to complete your original task
Short summary of all methods:
1. Define your goals and write them down.
2. Break those goals down into tasks.
3. Break those tasks down into the smallest possible subtasks.
4. Prioritize your tasks, and delete/delegate tasks you don't need to do.
5. Schedule time on your calendar every single day, ideally first thing in the morning, to work on your highest-priority goal task.
6. Focus on your goal task during your scheduled time, and work on it until it's complete.
- There will be always more do be done that can be done. Don't try to "increase" productivity, prioritize and eliminate.
- It's the quality of work and quantity of family time that matters.
21 ways:
1. Define your goals and write them down
2. Create plans for what you'll work on
3. Focus on your 20% tasks
4. Think long-term to make better short-term decisions
5. Procrastinate on 80% of less important tasks
6. Use the ABCDE method - categorize tasks in A (must do), B (should do), C (nice to do), D (delegate), E (eliminate)
7. Understand exactly what work you're accountable for
8. When it's time to work, work
9. Prepare for your work before you start on it - make your workplace appealing
10. Focus on one task at a time
11. Develop your skills - spend 1h/day on improving skills
12. Use your strengths
13. Identify the things that are holding you back - blockers in performing tasks you do often
14. Find your motivation - put deadlines on your tasks
15. Make the most of your energy levels - sleep, healthy eating and exercise
16. Become an optimist - dismiss the thoughts that tell you it's not worth continuing to work toward a goal after you run into delays, problems, or disappointments
17. Don't let technology distract you - work in blocks of time when you don't check social media, emails, etc.
18. Break your tasks down to their smallest possible components - define the next action, and do it
19. Schedule time on your calendar for eating your frogs
20. Find your flow
21. Work on a task until it's complete - when you stop working on a task to focus on something else, it increases the amount of time it will take you to complete your original task
Short summary of all methods:
1. Define your goals and write them down.
2. Break those goals down into tasks.
3. Break those tasks down into the smallest possible subtasks.
4. Prioritize your tasks, and delete/delegate tasks you don't need to do.
5. Schedule time on your calendar every single day, ideally first thing in the morning, to work on your highest-priority goal task.
6. Focus on your goal task during your scheduled time, and work on it until it's complete.
Read
September 30, 2022I have seen or heard of many self-help books like these and how they could "change your life" or "transform you" but whenever I tried to read them they either turned out to be cliches or just simply boring. Therefore, I was also hesitant to pick up this book. However, I have always had a problem with procrastinating too much and tried many ways to stop myself from it but nothing never really worked, until I read this book. Even though when I first started reading Eat That Frog it felt like a personal attack, as I continued to read through the book, I became more motivated to try these tactics that allegedly would stop me from procrastinating. And it worked. I was surprised at my ability to discipline myself to follow through with the tactic to "eat the ugliest frog" and how this book is not one of those cliche books. Thus, this book made me feel more confident in myself and trust myself to have the discipline and be productive to eat the ugliest frogs in my life.
October 7, 2024
4.0 estrelas (e-book)
1. Eat That Frog:
The main idea is to do the hardest thing first, every single day
✍️ 2. Setting Clear Goals:
Gain clarity by writing down a daily action plan for reaching your goals
📈 3. The 80/20 Rule of Prioritization:
Focus your efforts on tasks with the highest impact
🔭 4. Long-Term Perspective:
Overcoming procrastination by aligning your daily decision-making with long-term goals
📅 5. The 10/90 Planning Rule:
Spend a small amount of time in daily planning to save a lot in execution.
✅ 6. One Step at a Time:
Break down overwhelming tasks into small, manageable steps
🏷️ 7. The ABCDE Method:
Categorize and prioritize each task by importance for optimal productivity
💻 8. Leveraging Technology:
Mastering digital tools for increased productivity and focus
1. Eat That Frog:
The main idea is to do the hardest thing first, every single day
✍️ 2. Setting Clear Goals:
Gain clarity by writing down a daily action plan for reaching your goals
📈 3. The 80/20 Rule of Prioritization:
Focus your efforts on tasks with the highest impact
🔭 4. Long-Term Perspective:
Overcoming procrastination by aligning your daily decision-making with long-term goals
📅 5. The 10/90 Planning Rule:
Spend a small amount of time in daily planning to save a lot in execution.
✅ 6. One Step at a Time:
Break down overwhelming tasks into small, manageable steps
🏷️ 7. The ABCDE Method:
Categorize and prioritize each task by importance for optimal productivity
💻 8. Leveraging Technology:
Mastering digital tools for increased productivity and focus
September 5, 2025
The whole point of this book is to convince you to start on your work, declutter your space and make list of goals you want to achieve.
This book is as equivalent as watching a YouTube short/ reel by educational influencers telling you how to study.
with so much of hoax around this book, I decided to pick it up assuming author must have written some techniques or tricks to effectively accomplish your goal, but that was never mentioned.
one more aspect that the author forgot to consider is, while achieving the goals, failures tend to happen. how to deal with them and restart again is also not mentioned in this book!
~ Nishita
This book is as equivalent as watching a YouTube short/ reel by educational influencers telling you how to study.
with so much of hoax around this book, I decided to pick it up assuming author must have written some techniques or tricks to effectively accomplish your goal, but that was never mentioned.
one more aspect that the author forgot to consider is, while achieving the goals, failures tend to happen. how to deal with them and restart again is also not mentioned in this book!
~ Nishita
November 9, 2022
This book made some very good points about disciplining yourself and strength training your attention to become more productive and do hard things. Generally, I liked it. However, as with most self-help books, there came a point where the broad generalizations started kicking in and I felt that the principles would be misapplied to my unique situation. The summary at the very end of the book was my very favorite and I honestly felt that it would make a great substitute if you don't have the time to read it.
April 19, 2024
2.5
A book to help with procrastination. I read this because I watched someone do a presentation on this in one of my college classes. It had always stuck with me to "eat that frog" and to do whatever I was dreading first thing to get on with and have a better day. After reading the book, I feel like I took more away from that presentation than I did the book. A lot of these actions are things you hear anywhere to help you stop procrastinating. But I will always remember to "eat that frog" so, 2.5.
A book to help with procrastination. I read this because I watched someone do a presentation on this in one of my college classes. It had always stuck with me to "eat that frog" and to do whatever I was dreading first thing to get on with and have a better day. After reading the book, I feel like I took more away from that presentation than I did the book. A lot of these actions are things you hear anywhere to help you stop procrastinating. But I will always remember to "eat that frog" so, 2.5.
April 25, 2021
Mmmmm, agradable. Si tiene algunas cosas que pensé como "Ay, eso es muy de mamador" pero en general me gustó y espero aplicar lo leído va... porque esa es la gracia.
July 2, 2021
Decent amount of useful advice and motivational tips (though also lot of repetition). I feel bad for all the frogs though.
April 10, 2022
Eat That Frog! Is a great book to stop procrastinating and use time wisely; to get more done in less time. It has lots of interesting and effective ways of how to use time efficiently, with the main idea to eat the 'ugliest, biggest frog' first. Before doing any other work you have to get done, you have to eat the most time-consuming, hard and important work first. I really think everyone should read this book, since it helps you to prioritize work and get it done, whether it is school work, personal goals, tasks from work. Read this book, and grow yourself to a person with a successful future awaiting.
June 8, 2022
4 frog stars 🤎✨️
Perfect book if you struggle with procrastination! This has some great advice and motivational tips <3
Perfect book if you struggle with procrastination! This has some great advice and motivational tips <3
December 30, 2023
This genuinely just changed my entire outlook on life. Super excited to apply these skills.
Read
May 12, 2024Atp I’m not rating the self help books my dad has bought me anymore
July 28, 2024
A good book for beginner readers but almost all the topics discussed are already known or common.
February 11, 2025
This a pocketbook that you can used as reference at any time in total I like it
February 25, 2025
Great book with straightforward tips and tricks how to take on procrastination.
Very good podcast/e-book on Spotify.
Very good podcast/e-book on Spotify.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews