#ManicMonday - Breakfast of Champions: Eat The Frog

People often ask me how I pull together hyper-productive days.  Well, I’m going to share a little secret…I wake up super early to eat the frog!  We all have a couple things on our to-do list that we absolutely dread. That line item that we stare at, come up with all sorts of silly ways to procrastinate, and sometimes even write somewhere in the middle of the list so it doesn’t stand out and create anxiety.  No matter how you hide it, that croaking is still there. Guess what, that’s what’s holding you back.

Make your to-do list for everything work related that needs to be addressed. Let me repeat, write your full list – you know what you need to do to catch up, and you know what must be done to really shine.  This is how you’re going to grow. Some days, the frog is that terrible thing you need to do to catch up. Does it suck? Of course, what’s why you’ve been avoiding it. Will it feel better once you get it off your plate? Absolutely!

I love waking up before dawn, getting it done, then getting back in bed for a little nap before my alarm goes off. This way, the experience almost feels like a lousy dream, and you are starting off your day with a more agreeable to-do list.

Now for the bigger frogs.  It’s one thing to grow at the same pace as everyone else, it’s something else to really thrive.  When you get the hang of eating frogs for breakfast, you can start thinking bigger. What do you need to really shine?  

How are you going to create momentum for yourself? Well, those are the bigger frogs. Start adding those to your big lists.  If you don’t have any regular frogs to address in the morning, go for the bigger shiny ones. You’ll feel like a Rockstar. Getting things done for your future, moving your career, and you’ll have a spring in your step for the rest of the day.

When you eat frogs for breakfast, everything else in the day becomes less terrible.  Whatever needs to be accomplished for the greater good seems almost easy in comparison to what you already did before everyone else started their day.  

The dark cloud of dread that looms when where is something offensive on your to-do list eventually disappears. This isn’t necessarily the secret to happiness, but it’s a good start for creating productive days that pleasantly fly by.

What are your frogs?