These are my notes after reading the book “Eat the Frog“.
Quick Summary
It’s a fairly short book and the main message of the book is that you should do the most important and the most difficult task that you often don’t want to do first, as the first thing of your day. It’s a challenge but if you did that one thing that you do not want to do at first, it will get you into a flow state that makes it easier to not procrastinate and tackle other things. Also, it will get easier over time, and you will even get used to tackling tasks you don’t want to do, which will change your life.
The 1 Lesson I Implemented + That Works Wonders
A change that I actually made in my life after reading it in the book, and that is very effective, is to have fixed time for emails and Slack, which I usually always do in between. Now I added a fixed focus time at the beginning of the day (see below). I usually check my messages and make sure there’s nothing urgent and already clean them up a bit in the mornings after I wake up, but I don’t answer them. Then I go to gym, have my focus session, get lunch, and then I have a 1 hour blocker to work off my inbox. That worked wonders and with this focus session on the morning I always get lots done.
My Notes While Reading:
- Doing the most important and often difficult tasks first is a habit to success.
- Studies back that people who master this habit are the people who are successful.
- The habit is trainable by constantly repeating this every day until it’s basically build into you.
- ✏️ Consider making also a monthly list of priorities in addition to the weekly ones.
- Always focus on tasks and projects that bring long term results.
- ✏️ Try ABCDE prioritization of my own tasks and do the most important ones first.
- Ask yourself which skill that you would acquire would have the biggest impact on your career. For me that will probably be to become even better in customer acquisition/growth.
- ✏️ Switch less often between email/slack and the task I have to do. Try to have two fixed message checking times per day.
- Gym: 8-10
- Focus Work: 10-13
- Lunch: 13-14
- Messages: 14-15
- Meetings or Tasks: 15-18
- Messages: 18-19
- Use affirmations like do it now, do it now, do it now or back to work, back to work, back to work.