Eat the Frog - AseemPuri

EAT THE FROG FIRST

Are you a busy bee? Here’s how to prioritize on what’s important

If you are a busy bee like me, you probably wake up to 200 emails in your inbox (maybe more), 5 meetings during the day ( 3 of whom are without agenda), 10 phone calls that you are likely to do and a whole list of personal things to attend to. On a good day, completing more than half of these may feel like a good day’s work. However often in this busyness the things that really really matter, the important vital projects that will drive our business forward and the people who matter in our life, get the most short shrift.

What then is the solution ? As a famous author has said, eat the frog first. Or in other words, do the most important vital task that is big, challenging and difficult first thing in the morning. So keep your inbox closed and do your yoga. Or keep your whats app away and instead work for an hour on the strategic plan for 2017 that will make a big difference to your team. Or don’t browse facebook to see who’s baby ate what last night and instead work for an hour first on your family’s next vacation and what gift you want to bring your spouse this week.
Why is this challenging ?

Very simply because doing the small inconsequential tasks is like having a milkshake or cookies. Immediately feels good and leaves you with a small high. Clearing 50 emails gives the same feeling. What difference does it make to anyone ? not much.

On the other hand eating veggies everyday or eating the frog will give you no immediate gratification. But whats the impact it has over months and years. Dramatic and long lasting.

This search for immediate gratification leads us to prioritise the unimportant over the important, the cookies over the frog and in the end days and years pass and we regret actions not done or things not delivered. The great authors, writers, poets, leaders, sports people all eat the frog. They get up and do the one thing that matters the most, no matter how draining, challenging or consequential it may be. This makes all the difference.
List your frogs. The things that matter the most. The things that will make the biggest difference. Do one everyday the moment you are awake. See how you change your own, your family’s and your team’s life.

Eat the Frog. It will save your life