Eat That Frog

Eat That Frog! Identify your most important goal in life today. What 
is it? What one goal, if you achieved it, would have the greatest 
positive effect on your life? What one career accomplishment would 
have the greatest positive impact on your worklife? 
Once you are clear about your major goal, ask yourself, “What sets 
the speed at which I accomplish this goal? Why don’t I have it 
already? What is it in me that is holding me back?” Whatever your 
answers, take action immediately. Do something. Do anything, but 
get started. 
 
 
 
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Chapter 12- Take It One Oil Barrel at A Time 
 
“Persons with comparatively moderate powers will accomplish much if they 
apply themselves wholly and indefatigably to one thing at a time.” 
(Samuel Smiles) 
There is an old saying that, "By the yard it's hard; but inch by inch, 
anything's a cinch!" 
One of the best ways to overcome procrastination is for you to get 
your mind off the huge task in front of you and focus on a single 
action that you can take. One of the best ways to eat a large frog is for 
you to take it one bite at a time. 
Confucius wrote that, "A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a 
single step." This is a great strategy for overcoming procrastination 
and getting more things done faster. 
Many years ago I crossed the heart of the Sahara Desert, the 
Tenezerouft, deep in modern day Algeria. By that time, the desert 
had been abandoned by the French for years and the original 
refueling stations were empty and shuttered.
 
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The desert was 500 miles across in a single stretch, without water, 
food, a blade of grass or even a fly. It was totally flat, like a broad 
yellow, sand parking lot that stretched to the horizon in all directions. 
More than 1300 people had perished in the crossing of that stretch of 
the Sahara in previous years. Often drifting sands had obliterated the 
track across the desert and the travelers had gotten lost in the night. 
To counter this lack of features in the terrain, the French had marked 
the track with black, 55 gallon oil drums, five kilometers apart, at 
exactly the curvature of the earth as you crossed that flat wasteland. 
Because of this, wherever you were in the daytime, you could see two 
oil barrels, the one you had just passed and the one five kilometers 
ahead. And that was enough. 
All you had to do was to steer for the next oil barrel. As a result, we 
were able to cross the biggest desert in the world by simply taking it 
“one oil barrel at a time.” 
In the same way, you can accomplish the biggest task in your life by 
disciplining yourself to take it just one step at a time. Your job is to go 
as far as you can see. You will then see far enough to go further. 
 
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To accomplish a great task, you must step out in faith and have 
complete confidence that your next step will soon become clear to 
you. Remember the wonderful advice, "Leap — and the net will 
appear!" 
A great life, a great career is built by performing one task at a time, 
quickly and well. And then going on to the next task. 
Financial independence is achieved by saving a little money every 
single month, year after year. Health and fitness are accomplished by 
just eating a little less and exercising a little more, day after day and 
month after month. 
You can overcome procrastination and accomplish extraordinary 
things by just taking the first step, by getting started toward your 
goal and by then taking it one step, one oil barrel at a time.