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Eat The Frog

The phrase “eat the frog” refers to taking care of the hardest, most important task in your day as soon as possible.

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.

—Mark Twain

This technique works for getting things done for a few reasons:

  • Typically your self-control is highest at the start of your day. This reduces the risk that your procrastination doesn’t take over and cause this item to not get done.
  • Once complete, it removes your day’s biggest burden, reducing stress and giving you a win at the start of your day.

While Mark Twain’s quote talks about the morning, the key point in time is at the start of your day, whenever that happens to be. Those who wake up at 2pm, 10pm, or 5am should treat “the morning” as whenever that person first wakes up.

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