🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. Contains 21 basic steps to better time management, where the title of the book is based on a quote by Mark Twain who said that if the first thing you do in your day is to eat a frog, you can go through your day knowing that is probably going to be the worst thing you have to do that day.
2. Your ability to select your most important task at each given moment, and then get started on that task to get it completed efficiently and well, will have more of an impact on the success you will achieve than other quality/skills you will develop.
3. Eat that Frog, do your most important tasks first thing in the morning and always focus on eating the frogs first, focusing less on less important/urgent tasks less and only getting to them when you use your time on the most meaningful tasks.

🎨 Impressions

Enjoyable. Easy to read. Full of great info.

It only really can take 2 hours to read should you read it non-stop, but I enjoyed it enough to read alongside another book, and I wanted to slowly take my time digesting each of the 21 basic steps to achieving better time management and eating better frogs. Each chapter is great, it covers a quick tip or steps on time management, which also has questions and action steps with each chapter - I love that!

How I Discovered It

Gift from my Partner!

Who Should Read It?

If you are looking to prioritise tasks more and achieve more with the limited time you have, then this book is for you. Anyone looking to improve their time management, or have refreshers on actionable skills to develop would love to cover this book. It’s easy to digest and not a very long book - straight to the POINT!

☘️ How the Book Changed Me

Setting the Table - Identifying Frogs at Microsoft

This book changed me with respect to my work tasks and goals. Working as a Marketing Executive at Microsoft Education, it can be very busy and especially distracting when you have many requests coming through from various stakeholders, teams and differing timelines. Being able to identify the frogs in my role was critical as it helped free a lot of my time and focus on the energy to eat those frogs and ensure I am doing my job better.

Planning every day in Advance

To be very effective, plan your day in advance and save valuable time. Tracy says that every minute that you take planning saves you 10 minutes when you start taking action. Tracy suggests using lists – a master list, a monthly list, a weekly list, and a daily list, which I have integrated into my very own notion templates. For me, I started to make sure that I saved 10 minutes of time before my role to identify all the things that I needed to get done on that day and delegate my time efficiently. To make it short, I used that 10 minutes of my day to identify the frogs I needed to eat. From there, it is theorized that doing so can save approx 90 minutes of your day - I believe it did so for me.

Applying the 80/20 rule to everything

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) says that 20% of our effort makes up for 80% of our accomplishments.

Often people focus on activity versus accomplishment. We can be busy, but if we aren’t focusing on what’s important, our 20%, then we aren’t really being productive.

A rule to follow (to rule them all..)

One rule to help us focus on the 20% is to give up clearing up the small tasks first.

Frequently those tasks are the 80% that only produce 20% of our results. Instead, focus on what’s really important.

✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

Mark Twain

“Your ability to select your most important task at each moment, and then to get started on that task and to get it done both quickly and well, will probably have more of an impact on your success than any other quality or skill you can develop.”

Brian Tracy

What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

Purchase your copy of the book here➡️ https://amzn.to/3TuiIRZ

📒 Summary + Notes

1. Set Clear Goals
   • Write down specific objectives to provide direction and focus.
   • Example: Tracy suggests writing down your top 10-12 goals at the beginning of each month1.
2. Plan in Advance
   • Use hierarchical lists (master, monthly, weekly, daily) to organize tasks efficiently.
   • Example: Create a master list of all tasks, then break them down into monthly, weekly, and daily lists1.
3. Apply the 80/20 Rule
   • Focus on the vital 20% of tasks that yield 80% of results.
   • Example: Identify the top 20% of your activities that contribute most to your success and prioritize them1.
4. Consider Long-Term Consequences
   • Choose tasks based on their potential long-term impact.
   • Example: Ask yourself, "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?" to focus on high-impact activities1.
5. Practice Strategic Procrastination
   • Deliberately postpone low-value activities to focus on high-impact tasks.
   • Example: Put off checking emails or social media to work on important projects first1.
6. Use the ABCDE Method
   • Prioritize tasks from A (most important) to E (eliminable) to ensure focus on critical activities.
   • Example: Label tasks A for "very important," B for "should do," C for "nice to do," D for "delegate," and E for "eliminate"1.
7. Focus on Key Result Areas
   • Identify and improve critical responsibilities that directly impact your performance.
   • Example: If you're in sales, focus on prospecting, presenting, and closing deals1.
8. Identify Core Tasks
   • Determine the three tasks that add the most value to your work and concentrate on them.
   • Example: A manager might focus on planning, organizing, and controlling as core tasks1.
9. Prepare Thoroughly
   • Organize your workspace and materials before starting to eliminate distractions.
   • Example: Clear your desk of everything except the task at hand to maintain focus1.
10. Break Down Large Projects
    • Tackle big tasks in smaller, manageable steps to reduce overwhelm.
    • Example: Use the "salami slice" method to break a large project into smaller, actionable tasks1.
11. Continuously Upgrade Skills
    • Invest in learning and self-improvement to enhance your value and productivity.
    • Example: Read books, attend seminars, or take courses related to your key result areas1.
12. Leverage Your Talents
    • Identify and develop your unique strengths to maximize your potential.
    • Example: If you excel at public speaking, seek opportunities to present and lead meetings1.
13. Identify Constraints
    • Recognize internal and external limiting factors and work to overcome them.
    • Example: If lack of technical knowledge is holding you back, invest time in learning new skills1.
14. Self-Motivate
    • Set personal deadlines and push yourself to excel without external pressure.
    • Example: Create artificial deadlines for projects and treat them as if they were set by your boss1.
15. Maximize Personal Energy
    • Prioritize rest, nutrition, and exercise to maintain peak performance.
    • Example: Ensure you get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly to boost productivity1.
16. Practice Positive Self-Talk
    • Cultivate an optimistic mindset by using encouraging internal dialogue.
    • Example: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations like "I can do this" or "I'm getting better every day"1.
17. Manage Technology Use
    • Control email and phone time to avoid technological distractions.
    • Example: Set specific times for checking emails rather than constantly responding to notifications1.
18. Use Task-Breaking Techniques
    • Apply "salami" or "swiss cheese" methods to start difficult tasks.
    • Example: Break a large report into smaller sections or commit to working on it for just 5 minutes to get started1.
19. Create Uninterrupted Time Blocks
    • Avoid multitasking and focus on one task at a time for increased efficiency.
    • Example: Set aside 90-minute blocks of uninterrupted time for your most important tasks1.
20. Develop a Sense of Urgency
    • Act promptly on priorities and avoid procrastination.
    • Example: Approach each task with the mindset that it needs to be completed immediately1.
21. Complete Tasks in One Sitting
    • Work on tasks until finished to avoid wasting time re-starting.
    • Example: Once you begin writing a report, commit to finishing it before moving on to another task1.