Eat That Frog! O t h e r b o o k s b y b r I a n Tr a c y

eat that frog
!
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e at t h at f ro g
!
To accomplish a great task, you must step out in faith
and have complete confidence that your next step will
soon become clear to you. Remember this wonderful ad-
vice: “Leap—and the net will appear!”
A great life or a great career is built by performing
one task at a time, quickly and well, and then going on
to the next task. Financial independence is achieved by
saving a little money every single month, year after year.
Health and fitness are accomplished by just eating a lit-
tle less and exercising a little more, day after day and
month after month.
You can overcome procrastination and accomplish
extraordinary things by taking just the first step, getting
started toward your goal, and then taking it one step,
one oil barrel, at a time.
1.
Select any goal, task, or project in your life on which
you have been procrastinating and make a list of all the
steps you will need to take to eventually complete the
task.
2.
Then take just one step immediately. Sometimes all
you need to do to get started is to sit down and complete
one item on the list. And then do one more, and so on.
You will be amazed at what you eventually accomplish.

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Upgrading your skills is one of the most important per-
sonal productivity principles of all. Learn what you need
to learn so that you can do your work in an excellent
fashion. The better you become at eating a particular
type of frog, the more likely you are to just plunge in and
get it done.
A major reason for procrastination is a feeling of in-
adequacy, a lack of confidence, or an inability in a key
area of a task. Feeling weak or deficient in a single area is
enough to discourage you from starting the job at all.
Continually upgrade your skills in your key result
areas. Remember, however good you are today, your
knowledge and skills are becoming obsolete at a rapid
rate. As Pat Riley, the basketball coach, said, “Anytime
you stop striving to get better, you’re bound to get
worse.”