Rod Holmes

How to Eat that Frog Procrastination is one of the leading causes of disorganization. As we’ve seen before, we can often make excuses to do it later for find various reasons why something can be put off until later. But once we’ve compiled our giant to do list and have decided what tasks should be done first, our next step, or steps, is to fight against procrastination and just do them. With the right tools and good habits, you’ll be able to say good bye to procrastination sooner, rather than later. Eat That Frog! As Mark Twain says, “Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” We all have that task we dread doing, whether it’s at home doing the dishes or at work sending our email reports. Our normal plan of action is to put it off while completing various other tasks. Then when it’s time to complete this unpleasant task, we either find a way to put it off or don’t tackle it with full force. But Eat That Frog is a concept that says we should “eat the frog” first, or rather do our least favorite tasks first, and fully complete them before moving onto another project. When this job is out of the way, we spend the rest of our time completing more favorable tasks, and revel in knowing that you don’t have to return to the first one. Eat That Frog Guideline: 1. The Frog – Identify your most important task first. 2. Complete this task first before you move on to anything else. 3. Eat the Frog - Continue with this task until it is completed. Remove Distractions Even after you have set your mind to completing a task and checking it off of your to do list, the smallest distraction can make you lose focus and stop working. They can occur at home or at work, and often times we do not even register them as a distraction. When you are preparing to start a project or task, look around and evaluate what is in the area that could distract you. Turn off personal cell phones or devices or put a sign on your door asking for silence and to not disturb. Ensure everything you will need is organized with your workflow to reduce the need to get up and leave your area. When we eliminate these distractions that can make us lose our focus, we will see an increase and production and spend less time trying to complete the same project. Give Yourself a Reward Rewards are a great way to keep ourselves motivated. After all, who doesn’t want to earn a little treat after a job well done? The key is to only reward the good behavior, such as finishing a small task or completing a whole project. If we jump to the reward too soon, we are only rewarding our negative behavior and are not helping to reduce procrastination. Start with small rewards when working on something, such as taking a break or getting something to snack on. We can reward ourselves with a bigger prize when the entire job is finished, such as going out with friends or doing something fun that we enjoy more. Tips:  Only give rewards for work done, not work promised.  Start with small rewards before working up to bigger ones.  Keep a visual reminder of what you’ve accomplished. Source: Organizational Skills Workshop