Eat That Frog

 
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Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire 
week in advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go 
through the current week.
This discipline of systematic time planning can be very helpful to 
you. Many people have told me that the habit of taking a couple of 
hours at the end of each week to plan the coming week has increased 
their productivity dramatically and changed their lives completely. 
This technique will work for you as well. 
Finally, you transfer items from your monthly and weekly lists onto 
your daily list. These are the specific activities that you are going to 
accomplish that day.
As you work through the day, tick off the items on your list as you 
complete them. This activity gives you a visual picture of 
accomplishment. It generates a feeling of success and forward 
motion. Seeing yourself working progressively through your list 
motivates and energizes you. It raises your self-esteem and self-
respect. Steady, visible progress propels you forward and helps you 
to overcome procrastination.
When you have a project of any kind, begin by making a list of every 
step that you will have to complete to finish the project from 
 
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beginning to end. Organize the project by priority and sequence. Lay 
it out in front of you on paper or on a computer so that you can see it. 
Then go to work on one task at a time. You will be amazed at how 
much you get done in this way. 
As you work through your lists, you will feel more and more 
effective and powerful. You will feel more in control of your life. You 
will be naturally motivated to do even more. You will think better 
and more creatively and you will get more and better insights that 
enable you to do your work even faster. 
As you work steadily through your lists, you will develop a sense of 
positive forward momentum that enables you to overcome 
procrastination. This feeling of progress gives you more energy and 
keeps you going throughout the day. 
One of the most important rules of personal effectiveness is the 10/90 
Rule. This rule says that the first 10% of time that you spend 
planning and organizing your work, before you begin, will save you 
as much as 90% of the time in getting the job done once you get 
started. You only have to try this rule once to prove it to yourself. 
When you plan each day in advance, you find it much easier to get 
going and to keep going. The work goes faster and smoother than 
 
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ever before. You feel more powerful and competent. You eventually 
become unstoppable. 
Eat That Frog! Begin today to plan every day, week and month in 
advance. Take a notepad or sheet of paper and make a list of 
everything you have to do in the next 24 hours. Add to it as new 
items come up. Make a list of all your projects, the big multi-task jobs 
that are important to your future.
Lay out each of your major goals, projects or tasks by priority, what 
is most important, and by sequence, what has to be done first, what 
comes second and so forth. Start with the end in mind and work 
backward. 
Think on paper! Always work from a list. You’ll be amazed at how 
much more productive you become, and how much easier it is to eat 
your frog.