We discussed the principles of goal setting – specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based (SMART) – and what would be good goals. Last week, she proudly informed me that she developed her list of goals to pursue.
While I couldn’t be happier for her, I also couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the idea of doing something similar for myself.
It’s not that I’m afraid of goals, as I regularly like to pinpoint goals to work on; it’s just the idea of listing them all in one place and to constantly be reminded of all that I want to achieve may make them seem insurmountable.
As I pondered this dilemma at my desk, I spotted a Post-it note that reads, “Eat the frog first.”
I had jotted the note several years ago after watching a video Progressive Dairyman founder Leon Leavitt shared with staff members at the time. It seemed like a great concept – one worth noting – but eventually got lost in the shuffle.
Perhaps it is time to dust it off and take a look at what it means.
It comes from a quote by American author Mark Twain, who once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
According to Brian Tracy, chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations, “Your ‘frog’ is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it.”
By eating the frog first and taking care of your most important task, it can boost your energy and momentum for the remainder of the day. Whereas it can drain your energy by lingering over you if you let the frog sit and stare at you from your plate.
Tracy suggests you start each day by looking at your to-do list, circling the frog and eating that first.
The simplicity of this concept is certainly something I can get behind. It’s not asking me to worry about a multitude of items, just one – the most important one.
However, if you’re like me, the idea of waking up and jumping right into the most important item on your list may also seem daunting. You probably already have a set morning routine, one that likely can’t be altered much.
Whether it is milking, feeding cows, feeding calves or a combination of those, they can’t be put off while you eat your frog.
Never fear, I have read a number of articles that share how successful CEOs start their day, and very few of them jump right from bed into their to-do lists. Their days begin with things like meditation, reading the newspaper, having a cup of coffee, checking emails and exercising.
Once they finish their routines, they start to prioritize their to-do lists, and I’ll bet that some find that frog and dig right in.
As we begin this new year, feel free to continue your regular morning routine, but once it is done, consider joining me in having frog legs for breakfast. 
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Karen Lee
- Editor
- Progressive Dairyman
- Email Karen Lee
