Frog-eat your way to achieving goals and time management

Eat That
Frog book

Eat That Frog (on Amazon #ad) is a business management classic by Brian Tracy that gives “25 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time.”  Basically it is a compilation of many great time management and goal achievement tips.  Tracy summarizes the tips at the end of the book.  So I guess he will not mind if I list them here with my take on which standard practice he is illuminating with links to some details on those concepts.

1. Set the table by writing it down and clarifying your goals.
2. Plan every day in advance. 
3. Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything to concentrate on top 20% activities.
4. Consider the consequences – think long-term to improve decision-making.
5. Practice the ABCDE Method continually for determining personal work and delegating.
6. Focus on key result areas (KRA) in order to succeed.
7. Obey the Law of Forced Efficiency to set priorities and overcome procrastination.
8. Prepare thoroughly before you begin a job and keep going until it is finished
9. Do your homework – continuous learning and reading is a requirement for success.
10. Leverage special talents – take stock of your “earning ability” regularly.
11. Identify your key constraints to meeting your goals and focus on alleviating them.
12. Take it one oil barrel at a time – take the big tasks one step at a time, then move to the next step.
13. Put the pressure on yourself – set higher performance standards for yourself than for others.
14. Maximize your personal powers by working during your peak times and using healthy habits.
15. Motivate yourself into action through self-encouragement and increased optimism.
16. Practice creative procrastination by assigning posteriority to low-value tasks.
17. Do the most difficult task first by practicing numbers 2,3,5,7, and 8 every day for 21 days to develop a habit.
18. Slice and dice the task using the “Salami Slice” or “Swiss Cheese” methods to break it down,
19. Create large chunks of time to work important projects and utilize gifts of time when traveling.
20. Develop a sense of urgency to increase your “flow” on high-value tasks and activate the Momentum Principle.
21. Single handle every task – concentrate fully on the current task at hand to move down the Efficiency Curve.

You can get the book if you want more details on Tracy’s theories.  Either way, skip swallowing the tadpoles and go out there and eat that big frog! 

BTW: Eat That Frog! is one of the books in the “Read to Succeed” program mentioned in previous post.