Eat That Frog In 2009

Yesterday we talked about the importance of developing good habits. A really good habit to develop in 2009 would be to eat a live frog first thing each day. You may be saying, "What?!!!"

Watch this short movie and then you'll understand. As Mr. Nike would say, "Just Do It!"

Have a happy and safe new year's celebration!

Just Do It!

I met with a friend of mine yesterday who is going through some difficult stuff. I challenged him last week to get four things done which we both felt would help move him along toward getting out of the situation he is in. I told him that I wanted to see that he had done these things by the time we got together the following week.

He got two of the four things done but those were big steps. In fact, yesterday morning he said he woke up and didn't feel like doing anything. He felt paralyzed, like he was being sucked into his "pit." He said he just decided to do the thing he needed to do in spite of the way he was feeling.

I met with him immediately after this appointment and he said something pretty revealing. He shared, "Jim, I felt terrible when I got up. But after following through on what I knew was the right thing to do, my entire outlook has changed. I now have hope."

Wow, what a statement! I am very proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone!

This applies to each and every one of us. We can't let our feelings control us. When we know we need to do something and it is the right thing to do, even if we don't feel like it, we need to follow the advice of Nike and Just Do It!

Eat That Frog!

I am someone who loves to check things off his to-do list. I love this so much that I typically search for the easiest, fastest thing I can get done so I can eliminate it from the list. Sometimes this works well, but most of the time it encourages me to avoid doing the really tough thing, even if it is the most important thing I need to do.

I have heard it said, "If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!" This is probably true.

Brian Tracy, in his book Eat That Frog! says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one where you're most likely to procrastinate; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.

So, here's your assignment (and especially mine!): for the next 30 days take a look at your list, circle the frog, and eat that first.

Someday I'll

I love reading stuff from Zig Ziglar. He always seems to make some great points in ways that even I can understand. Here is another one...

One time we were keeping Timmy, a young cat with a long, fluffy tail for our granddaughter, Sunshine. Somehow he went missing and we spent a considerable amount of time and energy looking for that cat before he was found. That's typical. Most people pull out all stops to recover a pet or a treasured relationship. We would "do anything" to change some things or to have them back.

Question: Doesn't it make sense to pay more attention to friends, relatives, and families whom you love? Are you really too busy to make the phone call, drop a note in the mail, get together for a meal, go for a quiet drive or a long walk, and invest a little time to show that love? Question: Why don't you just make the time?

I don't have a definitive answer, but I believe that in most cases it's more a question of procrastination than of deliberate neglect. We work at a frantic pace and come home to relax. Before we realize it, we've spent several hours relaxing in front of a television set that presents us with programs that make us no happier, healthier, nor give us greater peace of mind.

Don't misunderstand; I believe some TV can be good and can offer company and comfort to shut-ins. But those things are not as important as spending time with those we love and cherish. Most of us plan to do exactly that "someday." But "someday I'll" is a seductive mistress. Deep down we know that our actions this year will parallel our actions of last year and catch us falling back on the old saw of, "I'll call you later," or, "Why don't we get together for lunch?" etc.

Solution: Do it now. We have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow or even an hour from now in our own lives or in the lives of those we love. However, we do know that if we take action now to reinforce or mend some of our relationships, we'll look back with gratitude and say to ourselves, "You know, I'm really glad I took the time."

Message! Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will say either, "I wish I had," or "I'm glad I did."

Procrastination, Part II

Yesterday I shared with you two points John Maxwell says will help to fight off procrastination. Here are his final two points:


3. Break down your big tasks. Connie Gersick of the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA says that the average person doesn’t get seriously down to work on a big project until midway between the start of the project and the deadline, whether an hour or a year away.

If the size of a task causes you to procrastinate or completely shy away, break it into smaller, more manageable tasks. Then, give yourself an immediate deadline for accomplishing each task.

Ray Kroc, an American entrepreneur famous for significantly expanding the McDonald’s Corporation since 1955, said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”

4. Step back and see the big picture. Don Shula, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, once said, “If you stacked [the mediocre] teams up against one of the perennial contenders, the talent gap might not be as great as you’d expect. It’s the philosophy gap that separates them. The losers lack something vital: a sense of purpose.”

Often people fail to start or complete a task because they don’t see any connection between what they’re doing and what they really want to accomplish. If you sense that what you’re doing is not blazing a trail toward a desired result, it’s probably time to rethink your pursuits. If you know that your work will move you closer to your goals, you will be more inclined to see the task through.

Even if you have procrastinated in the past, you can begin working today with a new outlook on getting things done and use some fresh methods for avoiding procrastination in the future. Make yourself a promise today to put an end to the phrases “woulda, coulda, shoulda” in your life.

Now that you know that, what is it that you have been putting off?

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. once said, “The biggest gap in the world is between I should and I did.” Is that true with you?

If you have an issue with procrastination, John Maxwell has some words of advice for you:

If you struggle with procrastination, you’re not alone. To be successful you must learn to close the gap between what you should be doing and what you are actually doing. Start by following these four steps:

1. Disrupt your regular routine. It doesn’t matter how hard or long you work if you’re not accomplishing what needs to be done. Sometimes changing how or where you work can increase your productivity significantly. Start by shuffling the order of your daily tasks. If it makes sense, begin your day with a task you normally reserve for the end of the day or vice versa.

Also, try changing your work setting. Go to a park. Work by the pool. Break out of old familiar patterns.

And another way to get more done is to steal an hour each day. Get up an hour earlier. Begin work on a project during your “off” time. The idea is to take the pressure off yourself by starting a job or doing a task when you’re not actually supposed to be working.

2. Get your first failure out of the way. Author Henry C. Link said, “While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it. If you need to make sales calls, dial up your first potential client and expect rejection.

Keep calling until you get that first “no.” If you’re brainstorming to solve a problem or complete a project, start by weeding through the bad ideas then move on to better ones. Once you’ve expected—and overcome—one failure, others don’t look so intimidating.

Tomorrow, I will share John's 3rd and 4th points on how to overcome procrastination.