Why Eat the Frog?
Of course, we don’t mean an actual frog. “Eat the Frog” has a long history as a metaphor and was popularized by author Brian Tracy. Eating the frog means to complete an uncomfortable task, and to do it first thing in the morning. No one wants to complete difficult tasks, no one wants to swallow frogs either. A frog is a metaphor of that tough task that you need to do. You know you need to do it but you’ve been putting it off because it’s hard, uncomfortable or challenging.
Each person has their own unique frog. You probably already know exactly what your frog is. When you try to go to sleep at night, you can’t help but think about your frog that is bothering you. It appears in your dreams, and your mind creates a perfect scene for it. This frog is a damp little philosopher of the swamp. Its skin looks permanently undecided about whether it wants to be smooth or suspiciously bumpy. The frog sits there blinking slowly with round eyes that seem to judge your life choices. The way it crouches does not look relaxed, but calculated, like it is waiting. For what? No one knows.
Image by Carlo Lisa
Then there is the texture of this frog. It looks like it was assembled from leftover pond materials, shiny, sticky and slimy. Its limbs are thin yet muscular in a way that feels disproportionate, like it could launch itself at you at any moment with impressive athleticism. When it moves, it does not walk like a respectable creature, it springs abruptly without warning. This frog is a small, unpredictable catapult of swamp energy.
And yet, you sense that the frog is deeply confident. It makes bold, unapologetic noises in the middle of the night as if to announce: “yes, I’m here. This is my swamp. What are you going to do about it?” It sits half submerged in murky water like a minimalist king on a throne of algae. It does not rush. It does not apologize. It simply exists in its damp swamp authority, fully unbothered by your discomfort.
Image by David Clode
That is your frog. A frog can be something like making a difficult decision, doing your taxes, making a medical appointment that you are afraid of, or calling that company that puts you on hold for an hour. Maybe in some way you trick yourself into thinking that the task or problem will go away on its own, but it doesn’t. Eventually it gets to a point where you can’t put it off anymore because the pain of not doing it inconveniences you in other ways. At some point we all just need to just face the music and do the task.
We need to eat our frogs. We can’t avoid frogs. Life is complicated, and will present us with challenges. We need to complete difficult tasks sometimes to move forward. A lot of times our frog isn’t a reflection on our own capability or willingness, but it includes some uncertainty or confusion.
Now think about what you need to do today. What keeps getting pushed to tomorrow? There is a reason why this difficult task is a frog for you. It usually indicates that it is something important. These frogs start to creep into other areas or lives if we do not complete them. They start to take up mental space in our minds causing mental clutter. In some cases, the frog gets even bigger if you avoid it for too long.
Tips on How to Eat the Frog
For unclear tasks that involve another decision maker, start by asking for clarification, or offer a suggestion on how you will address the task. This will make it easier to complete, or maybe even a part of the task will be delegated to someone more suitable. For instance, let’s say your partner asks you to get rid of the piles of boxes in your basement. It seems like a simple task, but if you have many boxes with items that belong to different members of your household, you might want to consult with everyone else before you get rid of items.
Break the large task into smaller ones. Sometimes a task becomes a frog because it’s to big to complete in one sitting. Start by completing a micro-task that will contribute to completing the larger task. For instance, with the the piles of boxes in your basement, you might not be able to declutter all of them in one afternoon, but you can start with two boxes.
Ask yourself if the task is still worthwhile. If your frog is a task that you’ve been putting off for a long time, and you’ve been making progress with other projects, ask yourself the question: “do I still need to eat this frog?” Sometimes we make a large wish list of projects we want to do, but life pulls us in another direction. Sometimes we keep putting off a certain task because we have more urgent priories that we need to complete. If you’re putting off a frog for years that doesn’t negatively affect you, then it might mean that this task isn’t a frog, but an idea for a future project. For instance, if the piles of boxes in your basement are not in anyone’s way and you don’t immediately need to use the space, it can probably wait.
Image by Austin Santaniello
Hopefully you don’t need to eat frogs often, but when you do, try to select the day you will eat the frog ahead of time to mentally prepare yourself. In some ways, the anxiety leading up to the moment that you will eat the frog feels worse than actually completing the tough task. On the day you decide to eat the frog, do it first thing in the morning. Maybe it might not be as bad as you think.
Sometimes the most difficult tasks give us the most clarity, and removes hurdles standing in our way from completing our larger goals. It is uncomfortable to complete challenging tasks, but once you eat that frog, it will clear mental clutter, anxiety and set you up for your next step. After you do eat the frog, reward yourself at the end of the day. You should be proud of yourself for accomplishing a task that was previously your own personal challenge.
Until next time, stay balanced!