Eat That Frog

Eat That Frog! Think continually of different ways that you can save, 
schedule and consolidate large chunks of time. Use this time to work 
on important tasks with the most significant long-term consequences. 
 
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Make every minute count. Work steadily and continuously without 
diversion or distraction by planning and preparing your work in 
advance. Most of all, keep focused on the most important results for 
which you are responsible. 
 
 
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Chapter 20 - Develop A Sense of Urgency 
 
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and 
work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools 
will be found as you go along.” 
(Napoleon Hill) 
Perhaps the most outwardly identifiable quality of a high performing 
man or woman is "action orientation." 
Highly productive people take the time to think, plan and set 
priorities. They then launch quickly and strongly toward their goals 
and objectives. They work steadily, smoothly and continuously and 
seem to go through enormous amounts of work in the same time 
period that the average person spends socializing, wasting time and 
working on low value activities. 
When you work on high value tasks at a high and continuous level of 
activity, you can actually enter into an amazing mental state called 
"flow." Almost everyone has experienced this at some time. Really 
successful people are those who get themselves into this state far 
more often than the average. 
 
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In the state of "flow," which is the highest human state of 
performance and productivity, something almost miraculous 
happens to your mind and emotions. 
You feel elated and clear. Everything you do seems effortless and 
accurate. You feel happy and energized. You experience a 
tremendous sense of calm and personal effectiveness. 
In the state of "flow," identified and talked about over the centuries, 
you actually function on a higher plane of clarity, creativity and 
competence. You are more sensitive and aware. Your insight and 
intuition functions with incredible precision. You see the 
interconnectedness of people and circumstances around you. You 
often come up with brilliant ideas and insights that enable you to 
move ahead even more rapidly. 
One of the ways you can trigger this state of flow is by developing a 
"sense of urgency.” This is an inner drive and desire to get on with 
the job quickly and get it done fast. This inner drive is an impatience 
that motivates you to get going and to keep going. A sense of 
urgency feels very much like racing against yourself.
With this ingrained sense of urgency, you develop a "bias for action." 
You take action rather than talking continually about what you are 
going to do. You focus on specific steps you can take immediately. 
 
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You concentrate on the things you can do right now to get the results 
you want and achieve the goals you desire. 
Fast tempo seems to go hand in hand with all great success. 
Developing this tempo requires that you start moving and keep 
moving at a steady rate. 
When you become an action-oriented person, you activate the 
"Momentum Principle” of success. This principle says that although 
it may take tremendous amounts of energy to overcome inertia and 
get going initially, it then takes far less energy to keep going. 
The good news is that the faster you move, the more energy you 
have. The faster you move, the more you get done and the more 
effective you feel. The faster you move, the more experience you get 
and the more you learn. The faster you move, the more competent 
and capable you become at your work. 
A sense of urgency shifts you automatically onto the fast track in 
your career. The faster you work and the more you get done, the 
higher will be your levels of self-esteem, self-respect and personal 
pride. 
 
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One of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to get yourself 
started is to repeat the words, "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" 
over and over to yourself. 
If you feel yourself slowing or becoming distracted by conversations 
or low value activities, repeat to yourself the words, "Back to work! 
Back to work! Back to work!" over and over.
In the final analysis, nothing will help you more in your career than 
for you to get the reputation for being the kind of person who gets 
important work done quickly and well. This reputation will make 
you one of the most valuable and respected people in your field.