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

Balance Is Not Optional
One of the most famous sayings of the ancient Greeks was
“Moderation in all things.” You need balance between
your work and your personal life. You need to set priori-
ties at work and concentrate on your most valuable tasks.
At the same time, you must never lose sight of the fact
that the reason for working efficiently is so that you can
enjoy a higher quality of life at home with your family.
Sometimes people come up to me and ask, “How do
I achieve balance between my work and my home life?”
I ask them in return, “How often does a tightrope
walker balance when on the high wire?” After a few sec-
onds of thinking, they almost always say, “All the time.”
I say, “That is the same situation with balance between
work and home life. You have to do it all the time. You
never reach a point where you have attained it perfectly.
You have to work at it.”
Your goal should be to perform at your very best at
work—to get the very most done and enjoy the very
highest level of rewards possible for you in your career.
Simultaneously, you must always remember to “smell
the flowers along the way.” Never lose sight of the real
reasons why you work as hard as you do and why you
are so determined to accomplish the very most with the
time that you invest. The more time you spend face-to-
face with the people you love, the happier you will be.
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e at t h at f ro g
!

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Apply the Law of Three
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eat that frog
!
1.
Determine the three most important tasks that you
do in your work. Ask yourself, “If I could do only one thing
all day long, which one task would contribute the great-
est value to my career?” Do this exercise two more
times. Once you have identified your “big three,” con-
centrate on them single-mindedly all day long.
2.
Identify your three most important goals in each
area of your life. Organize them by priority. Make plans
for their accomplishment, and work on your plans every
single day. You will be amazed at what you achieve in the
months and years ahead.

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One of the best ways for you to overcome procrastina-
tion and get more things done faster is to have every-
thing you need at hand before you begin. When you are
fully prepared, you are like a cocked gun or an archer
with an arrow pulled back taut in the bow. You will be
amazed at what you achieve in the months and years
ahead. You just need one small mental push to get started
on your highest value tasks.
This is like getting everything ready to prepare a com-
plete meal, such as a big frog. You set all the ingredients
out on the counter in front of you and then begin putting
the meal together, one step at a time.
Begin by clearing off your desk or workspace so that
you have only one task in front of you. If necessary, put
everything on the floor or on a table behind you. Gather
all the information, reports, details, papers, and work
materials that you will require to complete the job. Have