Frogs are my new best friend. They are now part of my daily routine. I talk about frogs. I engage with frogs. And that is all down to Mr Brian Tracy.
Like you, I have read zillions of books- and most of the time I can’t remember anything that I have just read. Not with this one. I’m eating frogs daily and feeling better for it! My five-a-day now includes frog shaped nutrients- the protein has helped me grow as a person and coach, the carbs give me energy for other things and the vitamin A helps me see clearly the way I need to go.
Eat that frog, small in pages but huge in content, offers a cure for the curse of modern day living- procrastination. Even though the medicine sounds painful, (bush tucker trial kind of stuff) - it isn’t. It is the encouragement to attack the biggest and most important task of the day- first thing. If you have two frogs that need eating- eat the ugliest one first.
However, ‘Eat that Frog’ is more than a book on procrastination. Essentially, it is a book about goals- clarifying what you want and the power of the written goal. He expounds the 80/20 theory, and a new theory on me, the priority setting ABCDE technique. He himself asserts, “This technique is so simple and effective that it can, all by itself, make you one of the most efficient and effective people in your field.” (p.37).
Tracy challenges the reader into new ways of thinking. He cuts across the deception of ‘time saving technology’. He offers practical suggestions in how to break down tasks and how best to complete tasks. He spurs the reader on to desiring greatness and success- and you instinctively know that the author has lived and breathed every one of his assertions. This makes the whole book a hugely motivating read.
As said at the beginning. I now eat frogs- sometimes I ‘slice and dice’ sometimes I swiss cheese attack them (two techniques Tracy explains in chapter 18!)
Each morning I wake and write down my frogs to eat. It really is quite a liberating experience! I have a laminated A4 sheet with a picture of a frog on. I can write on it with a dry wipe marker- being a visual learner I can see the results immediately- very satisfying!
I’ve also used the goal setting techniques as part of my personal tool kit. I’ve challenged myself on the drain of technology and in conjunction with my own practise of mindfulness, his encouragement to be single minded and focussing, has been a timely synthesis for me.
At the end of each chapter, Tracy sets challenges or homework. I have found this really helpful in focussing and I also use it to keep myself accountable to some of my close friends.
As a coach I share, when appropriate, many of the techniques. I get my clients to eat frogs, write lists, grids and visuals. I set some of the challenges he gives at the end of the chapters for them to consider. It is also near the top of my recommended reads for clients.
As a teacher and manager, I use the ideas with my students. We eat frogs together. As a staff team we prioritize and get aggressive with distractions.
I can’t recommend ‘Eat that frog’ enough. For quick readers it really doesn’t take very long. But more than reading it, I recommend ‘working’ it. Do the exercises. Take the challenges. Use it to re-evaluate your own motivations. Use it to think and do things differently. You never know, you too may well find that frogs are your new best friends as well!
Review by Corinna Richards
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