Eating Frog Legs, 21 Days at a Time | VictorSchueller.com

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” ~Mark Twain

Have you ever been told to “eat that frog” every day?  Have you ever tried it?  Has it helped you?  I know I have tried “eating the frog” myself, and it does work well.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, the idea of “eating a frog” everyday is intended to assist people with overcoming procrastination.  The basic premise is that if you are staring at your “to do” list for the day, and you see that one big item that looms large, because either it will be unpleasant, or uncomfortable to complete, then it’s easy to just put it off until the next day, because all of the other items on the list seem manageable, more comfortable, and just plain easier by comparison.  It gets so tempting to continue to put off that one big item, and push it to the next day, until you eventually give up or forget about it.

The suggestion is to make that large, uncomfortable and undesirable item your “frog.”  If you just eat that “frog,” then you’ve gotten the unpleasant task out of the way, and the hope is that you feel much better because you finally ate the “frog” and it’s not staring at you any longer.

Well, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Singer today, who is the author of the book Six Simple Rules for a Better Life.  Our conversation started off with the discussion of why New Year’s resolutions don’t work.  As David explained, most of the time our resolutions don’t pan out because the resolution is too large.  We discussed how we can take a lofty goal, like losing fifty pounds of weight, and break it down into manageable pieces, twenty-one days at a time, to develop habits that lead to lasting change.

That got me thinking about that “frog” that we feel we must “eat” to avoid procrastination.  What if that “frog” is something that looms large beyond one day?  What if that “frog” is a lifestyle, physical, or emotional change that requires more than just “checking” it off the list?  You can’t say, “Today I’m going to lose fifty pounds.  Boom.  Done.  Next!”  It’s not possible.

But, after my conversation with David, I shared with him the idea of taking those ultra-large “frogs” and breaking them down into “digestible” pieces that can be eaten, little by little, every day.  How about eating a frog “leg” every day for twenty-one days?  How about making a habit out of walking for five minutes, as David suggested in the interview, every day?  Then, over the next twenty-one days, you eat the “frog’s” other “leg,” and walk for ten minutes a day.  By continually eating frog “pieces,” twenty-one days at a time, we can accomplish great things.

Is there an ultra-large frog that looms large for you?  Are you thinking about the weight you have to lose, or your negative attitude, or the complaining that you engage in on a daily basis?  Are these “frogs” items that can’t be placed on a checklist, because they require daily discipline and practice?

Perhaps, as David suggests, you can start breaking that “frog” into small pieces, day by day, twenty one days at a time.  Perhaps then, the “frog” won’t taste so bad, and perhaps it won’t be so intimidating after all!

What is your “frog?”  How can you break it apart?  If you’re looking for ideas, don’t hesitate to check out David’s book.  He has some great recommendations!

Today’s your day!  Grab a frog leg, and start eating — twenty one days at a time!  You can do it!  You just have to start!  Don’t worry — I hear frog legs taste great with ketchup! 🙂

Photo source: freedigitalphotos.net