What’s Your Frog?

I recently came across a quotation attributed to Mark Twain: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” At first, I was repulsed. Ummm, why would Mark Twain talk about eating a live frog? Truthfully, further research debunks that he actually said it. However, once I got past the feeling of disgust (blech!) and the question of the quotation’s origins, I realized that I could use this for good.

This is a solution to the struggle of procrastination. There’s even a self-help book out there called Eat That Frog! Many of us struggle with procrastination. The whole day (or afternoon or evening or hour) is in front of us, and there are so many distractions! It is easy to put off tasks until later. But later, later, later often turns into never.

So I recommend asking, “What’s my frog?” In other words, “What is my most important/most difficult/most daunting task?” If I check off that most pressing task first, the rest of my time just seems easier. Not to mention that I will earn a hit of dopamine for my brain!

This simple, but effective rule is great for students, too, but it must be taught. And sometimes students need help identifying what is most important. In this case, I recommend making a list of all assignments and tasks. (Students might need help with this step, too.) Then step back to take a good look. Deadlines that have passed, assignments that are due tomorrow, long-term projects that are due in the near future, tasks that you’ve been dreading – these are the frogs. Find your frog, and write it down – on a sticky note, on a white board, on your bathroom mirror, anywhere that is in sight. Once identified, just start.

Want to take it up a notch? At the end of each day, choose your frog for tomorrow, and write that one down, too!

Give it a try right now: what’s your frog?