Eat the frog!

What does a frog have to do with clutter and disorganization?

How does a frog have anything to do with time management?

I’m often asked, “Where do I start? I’m surrounded by piles and mounds of stuff. Everywhere I look. It’s all so overwhelming!”

And what I always tell people is, you have two choices.

CHOICE #1

If you are feeling enthusiastic yet vulnerable, go for the low hanging fruit.

Build some momentum by getting some easy wins under your belt.

Look for easily identifiable trash, recycling, library books, video rentals, things you’ve borrowed from others and focus on these kinds of things.

You’ll quickly clear away a layer of stuff and open some space.

You’ll also start to build your confidence up so those endorphins will kick in and you’ll want more wins.

CHOICE #2

If you are already channeling your inner warrior and raring to go start where you’re most uncomfortable.

What room, space, or pile is making you the most upset? What random clump of stuff contains things you’d most like to have available to you or would most like to finally have out of your life?

That’s the place to begin.

We can thank Mark Twain and Brian Tracy for popularizing the idea of “eating the frog.”

Mark Twain once said 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.

Running with this idea, we can see that if we metaphorically eat a live frog first thing in the morning, it’s likely to be the least pleasant thing that happens all day.

So just like eating the frog, turn your attention to the task you’d most like to avoid and you’ll discover that as you work through that task, whatever it is, you’ll gain confidence, momentum and enthusiasm.

You might not expect that to be true, but it is. Try it and see.

You can always procrastinate tomorrow.