“Eat That Frog!” is a book by Brian Tracy that focuses on time management and productivity. The title comes from a metaphor: If the first thing you do every morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that the worst part of your day is behind you.
In this context, “eating the frog” refers to tackling your most important, challenging, and often unpleasant task first thing in the day. By doing this, you build momentum and avoid procrastination. The key message is to identify the tasks that will make the biggest impact on your goals and priorities, and focus on completing those before moving on to anything else.
Tracy outlines 21 practical principles for improving productivity, such as:
- Set clear goals: Knowing exactly what you want to achieve helps you focus and prioritize effectively.
- Plan every day in advance: By setting a clear agenda for the day, you avoid distractions and stay on track.
- Apply the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle): Focus on the 20% of tasks that contribute to 80% of your results.
- Use the ABCDE method: Prioritize tasks by labeling them as A (most important) to E (least important).
- Develop the habit of discipline: Self-control and a commitment to doing what matters most are key to productivity.
Tracy emphasizes that by developing the habit of tackling big tasks first, you overcome procrastination, improve your efficiency, and make steady progress toward your long-term goals.