Eat That Frog!: Get More Of The Important Things Done Today
£7.99£9.99 (-20%)
There just isn’t enough time for everything on our ‘To Do’ list – and there never will be. Successful people don’t try to do everything. They learn to focus on the most important tasks and make sure they get done.
There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day. Using ‘eat that frog’ as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day – the one you are most likely to procrastinate on, but also probably the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life – Eat That Frog! shows you how to zero in on these critical tasks and organize your day. You’ll not only get more done faster, but get the right things done.
Bestselling author Brian Tracy cuts to the core of what is vital to effective time management: decision, discipline, and determination. In this fully revised and updated second edition, he provides brand new information on how to keep technology from dominating your time. He details twenty-one practical and doable steps that will help you stop procrastinating and get more of the important tasks done – today!
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Additional information
| Publisher | Yellow Kite (31 Jan. 2013) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 144 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1444765426 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1444765427 |
| Dimensions | 19.7 x 0.9 x 12.8 cm |
by christine d.
Very interesting book
by Damian Ryan
Author really gets straight to the point. He explains each key concept with a few pages and doesn’t bog you down with long stories. They’re really simple but effective tips for productivity. Great read
by @MrBookChief
I read this book over Christmas and am revisiting it today to share its message. It is still only 99p on Amazon.co.uk, making it an absolute steal. I hope you enjoy my review and buy it for yourself!
‘The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.
The second rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very long.’
When I was much younger, I used to get a lot of Brian Tracy emails. I don’t know how I ended up on one of his mailing lists but I always looked forward to the free e-books and insightful videos that he posted. Surprisingly, this is the first time that I have read one of his books! When I saw the knock down price that this one was going for, I couldn’t resist.
Eat That Frog is the perfect self-development book to kickstart your goals. The best thing about this time management book is that reading it is an exercise in time management itself. Reading through its 144 pages can easily be done in a day or so and it also can be quickly reread as a refresher when need. More importantly, this book is packed full of quality material thanks to Tracy’s many years of dedicated research.
‘I have studied time management for more than thirty years. I have immersed myself in the works of Peter Drucker, Alec MacKenzie, Alan Lakein, Stephen Covey, and many, many others. I have read hundreds of books and thousands of articles on personal efficiency and effectiveness. This book is the result.’
I loved this book for many reasons. It is very reassuring to know that every tip in this book has been tried and tested many times over. It is fantastic to see how easy each method can be applied. Even better, it is amazing how some of the small changes mentioned within this book can have such a instant and positive effect towards becoming more productive.
The book is laid out in the format of 21 steps or individual pieces of advice. Many are similar or reinforce each other but don’t let this turn you off. Each piece is part of the whole ideal and this helps to reinforce the book’s key principles. Out of the 21 practical steps, I found these three to be the most effective for myself personally.
1. Set the table: This tip basically encourages the reader to always think on paper. Years ago, back when his e-mails dropped into my inbox, it was Brian Tracy who taught me how to use basic goal setting. Sure, I probably haven’t achieved half of what I hoped I would do, but I still have definitely achieved a lot more than I would have without constantly scribbling down these plans for the future.
‘There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to achieve it.’ ~Napoleon Hill
2. Plan Every Day in Advance: Such a simple tip, but one that few people use to their advantage. Working without a plan is akin to a ship being adrift or at the mercy of the wind instead of having a fixed destination. Planning each day in 30, 60 or 90 minute blocks creates a level of focus that will help you get more things done. Tracy claims that every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution.
‘A major reason for procrastination and lack of motivation is vagueness, confusion, and fuzzy-mindedness about what you are trying to do and in what order and for what reason.’
3.The 80/20 Rule: Tracy basically encourages the reader to focus on the 20% of our lives that will make the biggest difference or have the most positive effect. When listing goals or to-lists, out of your top ten targets, what really matters? What are the two things that will give you the momentum to achieve the others? This is an invaluable piece of advice that can be applied in almost any situation.
‘The ability to concentrate single-mindedly on your most important task, to do it well and to finish it completely, is key to great success, achievement, respect, status, and happiness in life.’
I would strongly recommend it to someone who wants to regain some control over their hectic life. It doesn’t promise to change everything overnight but it will help point you in the right direction and create more time for the things in life that you love to do.
Take one step towards becoming a more efficient and productive person by buying this book today Go ahead, eat that frog!
by MR GARETH JOHN TOPP
Brian spends a short section in the intro giving insight into his own success which then provides credibility to the advice laid out in the book. This differs then to the many books that take a more research/case study-based approach. It works for me as it’s concise and punchy without needing to wade through lengthy case studies which can get tedious.
The advise itself I found incredibly helpful – it all makes intuitive good sense and I found myself making extensive use of highlights of sections I wish to implement.
In short – highly recommended – a quick read that will give you a tonne of valuable advice to boost your success and productivity.
Key insights for me:
1. Do the most impactful items on your to do list BEFORE you do anything else (I.e. don’t start with emails each day!)
2. Apply the 80/20 approach to task management – 80% of impact comes from 20% of tasks – focus on that 20%. CLUE – most of this will not be emails!
3. Use a digital software tool to tag ABCDE tasks and use this structure to prioritise.
4. Apply the Law of Three – identify the three things you do in your work that add the most value for your company and prioritise these before anything else.
5. Technology is your slave not your servant. Master it and use it to enhance your productivity – most importantly don’t be a slave to your inbox. (For a great read on technology I highly recommend “Building a Second Brain” by Tiago Forte.
I haven’t done justice there but seriously buy the book and I’m sure you’ll get great value from it.
by Ridwan
I like Brian’s books. It is simple and straightforward with practical advise that one can implement immediately. This is book is no different.
The core concept of the book is to set clear outcomes and ensure the tasks leading up to the outcome is done first and foremost.
The last chapter summarises all 21 strategies; I think that is enough to convey the message. There is no need for another book.
by Kindle Customer
Eat That Frog was a really interesting guide to tackling procrastination and to managing your time better with lots of commonsense advice and ideas. I was interested in it as it could be applied to writing and while not all of it was helpful in that regard, I did pick up some pointers that I think I could use to cut through the procrastinating I’m prone to and just get it done. Eat That Frog is a great metaphor for what this book is trying to get you to do, which is to basically tackle first the tasks that you are most avoiding that also equal the bulk of your productivity. A great read and reference guide that I’ll come back to.
by Brad S
I would consider this essential reading for anyone who wants to be a high performer in their field. I’ve read a fair amount of self-help/productivity/time-management books and this remains one of my favourites. The book has only a tiny amount of fluff. Most of what you read will be clear and actionable advice you can implement in your day to be more productive.
I read the book from cover to cover in about 4-5 hours and I’m not the fastest reader. Considering the cost of the book and the time required to read it, I would say this book gives a massive return on investment based on the knowledge it provides.
by jillyflower
If you are reading this to become more effective in business, it is possibly useful, ‘though I didn’t feel there was much new to be found in the contents. Author uses lots of quotes which he attributes definitely to certain people which are not necessarily correctly attributed, which annoyed me a bit. It has little to offer if you are looking to eliminate procrastination in your personal life. In my opinion, this wasn’t clear in the description. I gave it straight to charity. Cannot recommend.