![\"What](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/header.en34.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mark Twain once famously said, \u201cIf it\u2019s your job to eat a frog, it\u2019s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it\u2019s your job to eat two frogs, it\u2019s best to eat the biggest one first.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This basically translates to\u200a\u2014\u200astop procrastinating!<\/p>\n Whether you dabble in it from time to time or are a fully-fledged culprit, procrastinating is something we are all guilty of (come on, don\u2019t lie to yourself). We can all agree that it\u2019s just too easy a habit to get into, especially with distracting devices available at our fingertips (smartphones, anyone?)<\/p>\n But why is this? Why do we put things off when we know they need to be done?<\/p>\n Well, according to Joseph Ferrari, PhD, associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, there are three types of procrastinators<\/a>, and the category you fall into explains why you procrastinate.<\/p>\n The term \u2018eat that frog\u2019 refers to getting your worst task out of the way first. The \u2018frog\u2019 is the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad task that you just don\u2019t want to do\u200a\u2014\u200abut know that you have <\/em>to. It\u2019s the one that holds the most consequence if you don\u2019t complete it, and the one that is most likely to fall prey to procrastination. However, it\u2019s also the task that will give you the biggest feeling of accomplishment once it\u2019s out of the way. The one that will set the ball rolling for the rest of your tasks for the day.<\/p>\n This is why you should tackle it first.<\/p>\n The Eisenhower Method<\/a> (made popular by Eisenhower himself) categorizes tasks by urgency and importance. By creating a similar matrix of need v.s. want, you can categorize your tasks into four groups:<\/p>\n The \u2018frog\u2019 belongs in the first group. Simply put, it\u2019s the task you need to do, but don\u2019t have any desire to do it whatsoever, which is the reason why you procrastinate.<\/p>\n Fast forward to about 100 years since Twain uttered his famous, froggy words, and the catchphrase \u2018eat that frog\u2019 has become a productivity mantra, coined most notably by motivational and self-development professional, Brian Tracy, in his book\u200a\u2014\u200aaptly named\u200a\u2014\u200aEat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. <\/em>So, when you hear someone say, \u201ceat that frog\u201d, they\u2019re not challenging you to a bizarre food contest, they\u2019re telling you to quit delaying, and get on with it.<\/p>\n Here are some tips to help you eat that frog:<\/p>\n Know the difference between an activity and an accomplishment. For example, while it may appear that you\u2019re accomplishing something by going through your inbox, you aren\u2019t. You are merely faffing about and avoiding what truly needs to be done\u200a\u2014\u200athe frog. Steer clear of checking your email first thing in the morning as it will clutter your mind and distract you from the things you need to focus on. Start your day off with clarity and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n \n Whatever your frog is, ensure you have all the equipment ready the night before so there\u2019s minimum fuss the next day. Let\u2019s say, for instance, your frog is applying for a working visa\u200a\u2014\u200awhich can be an excruciating but necessary process\u200a\u2014\u200ahave your passport, credit card, and all the documentation laid out on your kitchen table so that you are organized and set to go right after breakfast (or during, which is even better!). The fewer things you have to worry about when you wake up, the more likely you are to actually get to it.<\/p>\n Your mind is like a muscle, which means you can train it to do things. Just like procrastination itself, stopping it is all about habit. Once you get into the routine of eating that frog first thing, it will come naturally to you. And once you realize just how satisfying crossing off that big task on your list is, it\u2019ll give you great motivation.<\/p>\n The more assistance you have with a task, the better your chances are of yielding the motivation you need. Whether it\u2019s something to simply remind you of important dates, or you\u2019re looking to digitalize your to-do list<\/a>, using a project management tool like Zenkit<\/a> can get you one step closer to eating that frog!<\/p>\n Try your luck with one of the tips above, and see how you go. If you have any other tricks on how to \u2018eat that frog\u2019 then please do share in the comments section!<\/p>\n Remember, getting out of the habit of procrastinating won\u2019t happen instantly, it is something that we have to stick to in order to reap the rewards. It is also something that won\u2019t happen on its own, it\u2019s a process that requires you to take the first <\/em>hop<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheers,<\/p>\n Dinnie and the Zenkit Team<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mark Twain once famously said, \u201cIf it\u2019s your job to eat a frog, it\u2019s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it\u2019s your job to eat two frogs, it\u2019s best to eat the biggest one first.\u201d This basically translates to\u200a\u2014\u200astop procrastinating! Why Do We Procrastinate? Whether you dabble in it from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":89188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","sub_heading":"Productivity hacks to help you Kermit to your\u00a0goals","time_to_read":5,"zenkit_blog_star_rating_disabled":false,"zenkit_blog_ad_has_sticky_bottom_bar":true,"zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_bottom_bar_text":"Tackle your biggest task first with the help of Zenkit!","zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_bottom_bar_link_text":"Create my free account","zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_bottom_bar_link_url":"https:\/\/app.zenkit.com\/register","zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_bottom_bar_custom_class":"","zenkit_blog_ad_has_sticky_top_bar":false,"zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_top_bar_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_top_bar_link_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_sticky_top_bar_link_url":"","zenkit_blog_ad_has_modal_popup":false,"zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_image":0,"zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_heading":"","zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_subheading":"","zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_link_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_link_url":"","zenkit_blog_ad_modal_popup_close_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_has_slidein":false,"zenkit_blog_ad_slidein_heading":"","zenkit_blog_ad_slidein_link_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_slidein_link_url":"","zenkit_blog_ad_has_google_banner":false,"zenkit_blog_ad_google_banner_heading":"","zenkit_blog_ad_google_banner_subheading":"","zenkit_blog_ad_google_banner_button_text":"","zenkit_blog_ad_google_banner_button_link":"","zenkit_blog_ad_deactivate_global_ad":false,"super_override_sticky_bottom":false,"toc__deactivate":false,"toc__show_carets":false,"toc__expand_all":false,"zenkit_blog_override_update":"","de_activate_sitebar_cta_on_this_post":false,"zenkit_blog_sidebar_cta":"","super_override_sidebar_cta":false,"de_activate_end_cta_on_this_post":false,"zenkit_end_cta_type":"","zenkit_blog_exit_cta_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16661,16665],"tags":[64,126,65,72],"class_list":["post-160740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","category-productivity","tag-organization","tag-procrastination","tag-productivity","tag-zenkit-project-management"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Eat](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/frog-in-water.jpeg\" "\\"Frog")
<\/p>\n
\nWhy Do We Procrastinate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Spongebob](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/spongebob-procrastination.gif\" "\\"Spongebob")
\nBut Wait, What Is This \u2018Frog\u2019 You Speak of?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nAnd How Can I Spot the Frog?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Zenkit's](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/frog-explanation.png\" "\\"Zenkit's")
<\/figure>\n
\nSo, How Can I Eat That Frog?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t check your email first\u00a0thing<\/h3>\n
\n\n ![\"custom](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/kanban_small1.png\")
\n Prepare the night\u00a0before<\/h3>\n
Practice makes\u00a0perfect<\/h3>\n
Arm yourself with productivity tools<\/h3>\n
\nFinal Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n