Eating the Ugliest Frog Is Not the Absolute Rule in Productivity
It doesn’t work for me. Here is what I do instead
I Tried Eating the Ugliest Frog First and Failed
Brian Tracy’s bestseller “Eat That Frog” which advocates doing your hardest and most important task first has helped millions of people in skyrocketing their productivity, except me.
I read the book and implemented my takeaways right away. To consume the frog at 9 o’clock became my daily target. If there are two frogs; I ate the uglier one first. Yes, I followed the rules; I plan the night before. Then I battled first with the grimmest and most significant task for the day.
But I failed.
I failed because the tadpoles also croak like the frogs, and I lose my concentration. I can’t help but think of them. Then the ugliest frog is so complicated to chew and by the time I stop eating, the tadpoles have grown. They suddenly require twice the energy to manage.
Here’s How I Tried It at Work
My workload follows the 80/20 rule. The documents that require concentration comprise 20% of my work and the other 80% are easy to sign routine documents. I’m talking here about my day job responsibilities. No personal tasks involved.
Every day when I sit at my desk, “100” work for the day registers on my brain as “100”. If I do the hardest task first, it will take me hours to read, analyze, and fact-check the paperwork before I can finally sign and label it as done. While I’m doing one task the 99 other tasks are all calling for my attention.
Sometimes, half a day went by and all I have done is ONE task. That’s the psychological score. Only one task. I notice a sense of personal disappointment and unproductivity. To eat the frog just doesn’t work for me.
What I Do Instead
I eat and silence all the tadpoles first.
Let me bring you away from those frogs. Now, I wanted to remind you of the concept of quick wins and the priority matrix in project management. The matrix orders doing “quick wins” or the easy but high impact tasks first. Then spend the remaining time on the other major projects.
With my scenario of 100 tasks, 80 are quick wins. I choose to finish the 80 first with the least amount of time and consider myself a winner. To mark as “done” the review and approval of 80 single-page documents in 4 hours gives me 80 small wins that can propel my motivation and increase my energy. It gives a sense of immense progress compared to barely eating anywhere between 1-20 ugly frogs for the same amount of time.
I also consider doing the straightforward tasks first as a warm-up to prepare my brain for the bigger tasks of the day. The accomplishment of one task after another seamlessly without too much exertion of mental energy builds momentum that will help me undertake the advanced tasks. There is a “feel-great” vibe associated with crossing out more items in my to-do list.
Therefore, the numbers do the trick.
When I complete all the modest tasks, the encouragement given by looking at the limited number of tasks remaining combined with the good vibe of feeling productive will enable me to confront the terrible tasks easily. When I do this tactic, the hard becomes easy.
The arduous tasks become easy because I now focus my vitality on them. No more small frogs croaking at the same stage. I can work in tranquility.
In my case, I research, evaluate, and make sound decisions at peace. There is no more pressure from the bigger percentage of tasks waiting for me while half a period passed. I can give my 100% attention and power to the tougher and more serious tasks of the day.
Final Thoughts:
Whether we eat the ugliest frog or the tiny tadpoles first, what matters is, if we accomplish our targets for the time at hand. It’s a matter of personal style. What’s applicable for many does not apply to me. And I’m fine with it.
How about you, what’s your productivity style?