Eat that frog - book summary
This is a comprehensive, chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. This guide covers all 21 productivity methods, including the core concepts, the specific anecdotes used by Tracy (including the Sahara oil barrels), and the practical action items for each.
The central metaphor of the book is based on a Mark Twain quote: "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." Your "frog" is your biggest, most important task—the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it.
The central concept of Eat That Frog! is based on the idea that your "frog" is the biggest, most important task—the one you are most likely to procrastinate on. The key to peak productivity is to tackle this task first thing in the morning and work on it until it is complete.
🎯 The Framework: Focus and Prioritize (Methods 1-8)
The first step is gaining clarity. You must Set the Table (Method 1) by writing down your goals, as only 3% of people do this. Next, Plan Every Day in Advance (Method 2) using the 6-P formula (Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance).
The most crucial prioritization tools are:
Apply the 80/20 Rule (Method 3): Focus on the vital few (the 20% of tasks that produce 80% of your results).
Consider the Consequences (Method 4): Always work on the tasks with the largest potential long-term impact.
Use the ABCDE Method Continually (Method 6): Label tasks from A (must-do) to E (eliminate).
Apply the Law of Three (Method 8): Identify the three core tasks that account for 90% of your value and focus only on those.
Use Creative Procrastination (Method 5) to deliberately postpone low-value tasks, freeing up time for your frogs.
🛠️ Execution: Getting Started and Staying Focused (Methods 9-16)
The next steps address execution and overcoming inertia:
Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin (Method 9): Gather all materials to reduce friction when starting.
Take It One Oil Barrel at a Time (Method 10): Break huge tasks into manageable steps and focus only on the very next step (like seeing the next oil barrel across the Sahara).
Identify Your Key Constraints (Method 13): Determine the single limiting factor holding you back, and focus your energy on resolving it.
Put the Pressure on Yourself (Method 14): Set internal deadlines and work as if you were leaving for a month-long vacation tomorrow.
To support this focus, you must Maximize Your Personal Powers (Method 15) through good rest and diet, and Upgrade Your Key Skills (Method 11) to increase motivation and mastery.
🚀 Speed and Discipline (Methods 17-21)
Finally, master the discipline of completion:
Get Out of the Technological Time Sinks (Method 17): Avoid the constant distraction of email and notifications by scheduling time blocks for focused work.
Use the Salami Slice/Swiss Cheese methods (Method 18) to chip away at large tasks with small, focused actions.
Create Large Chunks of Time (Method 19) for deep, uninterrupted work.
Develop a Sense of Urgency (Method 20) by moving fast and maintaining a "bias for action."
The ultimate rule: Single Handle Every Task (Method 21). Start your frog, stick with it, and do not stop until it is 100% complete.
1. Set the Table
The Core Concept: Clarity is the most important concept in personal productivity. The number one reason for procrastination is a lack of clarity about what you are trying to do. You must think on paper. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The 3% Study: Tracy cites a story (often attributed to Yale or Harvard) stating that only 3% of adults have clear, written goals. These people accomplish 5-10 times as much as people of equal or better education who never take the time to write exactly what they want. The Action Items:
Take a clean sheet of paper right now and make a list of 10 goals you want to accomplish in the next year.
Write your goals in the present tense, positive voice, and first person (e.g., "I earn $X per year").
Select the one goal that would have the greatest positive impact on your life and move it to a separate sheet to plan out.
2. Plan Every Day in Advance
The Core Concept: Every minute spent in planning saves 10 minutes in execution. This is the 6-P Formula: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. You should never start a day until you have finished it on paper. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Elephant: Tracy asks, "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time." This is how you tackle huge tasks—by breaking them down into lists. The Action Items:
Master List: Write down everything you want to do in the future.
Monthly/Weekly List: Move items from the master list to these lists at the start of the month/week.
Daily List: The night before, move items from the weekly list to your daily list. Tick them off as you go to get a visual sense of accomplishment.
3. Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything
The Core Concept: The Pareto Principle states that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. You must focus on the "vital few" rather than the "trivial many." The Examples & Anecdotes:
The $10 vs. $1000 Task: Tracy explains that two tasks might take the same amount of time (e.g., one hour), but one might be worth $10 and the other $1,000 to your career. The "frog" is always the $1,000 task, yet most people procrastinate on this one and stay busy with the $10 tasks. The Action Items:
List all your key goals, activities, projects, and responsibilities.
Identify the top 10-20% of tasks that represent 80-90% of your results.
Resolve today to spend more time on those few areas and less time on lower-value activities.
4. Consider the Consequences
The Core Concept: Long-term thinking improves short-term decision-making. The importance of a task is defined by the potential consequences of doing it or failing to do it. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Law of Forced Efficiency: "There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing." Tracy notes that when a deadline is imminent, people suddenly find the time to get the job done. The Action Items:
Ask yourself regularly: "What are the potential consequences of doing or not doing this task?"
Ask: "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?" (This is the core question of time management).
5. Practice Creative Procrastination
The Core Concept: You cannot do everything. Therefore, you must deliberately procrastinate on small, low-value tasks to free up time for big ones. This is distinguishing between "priority" (something you do more of) and "posteriority" (something you do less of). The Examples & Anecdotes:
The "No" Muscle: Tracy compares saying "no" to a muscle. You must exercise it frequently to keep your time clear for your "frogs." The Action Items:
Review your to-do list and ask: "If I could not do this at all, what would happen?" If the answer is "nothing," eliminate it.
Identify activities you can delegate or eliminate immediately.
6. Use the ABCDE Method Continually
The Core Concept: A prioritization technique to ensure you always work on your biggest frog.
A: Must do (serious consequences).
B: Should do (mild consequences).
C: Nice to do (no consequences).
D: Delegate.
E: Eliminate. The Examples & Anecdotes:
Eating the Tadpoles: Tracy warns against working on B or C tasks when an A task is left undone. He notes that if you have an A-1 (biggest frog) and an A-2, you must not touch A-2 until A-1 is finished. The Action Items:
Review your work list right now and place an A, B, C, D, or E next to each task.
Select your A-1 task and begin on it immediately. Do not stop until it is finished.
7. Focus on Key Result Areas
The Core Concept: Every job can be broken down into 5–7 Key Result Areas (KRAs). These are the specific outputs you are hired to accomplish. Your weakest KRA sets the height of your success. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Basketball Coach: Tracy compares work to sports. A coach needs players who are good at specific positions (passing, shooting, etc.). In management, your KRAs might be planning, organizing, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, and reporting. If you are bad at delegating, it drags down your performance in all other areas. The Action Items:
Identify your 5–7 Key Result Areas.
Grade yourself on a scale of 1–10 in each.
Identify your poorest skill and make a plan to improve it. This is your "frog" for personal development.
8. Apply the Law of Three
The Core Concept: Three core tasks usually account for 90% of your contribution to your company. You must identify these three distinct tasks to maximize productivity. The Examples & Anecdotes:
Cynthia the Manager: Tracy tells the story of Cynthia, a manager who felt overwhelmed. Tracy asked her to list everything she did, then circled the one item that contributed the most value. Then the second. Then the third. They found that these three tasks accounted for 90% of her value, while the other tasks were trivial. She delegated the trivial tasks and doubled her income. The Action Items:
Ask yourself: "If I could only do one thing on this list all day long, which one task would contribute the greatest value to my company?"
Repeat for task #2 and #3.
Focus on doing these three things all day long.
9. Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin
The Core Concept: Get everything you need—information, tools, papers, workspace—ready before you start. A clean, prepared workspace eliminates the friction of starting. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Cockpit: Tracy describes successful people as having a workspace that resembles a pilot's cockpit: everything is laid out, accessible, and ready for "takeoff."
The Chef: He creates an analogy to a chef who cleans off the counter and lays out all ingredients (mise en place) before starting to cook. The Action Items:
Clear off your desk so only one task is in front of you.
Gather all necessary information and tools before you begin so you don't have to get up later.
10. Take It One Oil Barrel at a Time
The Core Concept: You can accomplish the biggest, most complicated task if you just take it one step at a time. Do not look at the whole distance; look at the step right in front of you. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Sahara Desert Oil Barrels: Tracy tells the true story of crossing the Sahara Desert (the Tanezrouft) in a Land Rover. The desert was 500 miles of flat, featureless sand. The French had marked the track with black 55-gallon oil barrels placed exactly 5 kilometers apart. Because of the curvature of the earth, you could exactly see two barrels: the one you just passed and the one 5 kilometers ahead. By focusing only on the next barrel, they successfully crossed the entire desert. The Action Items:
Select a goal or task you have been procrastinating on because it seems huge.
List the very first step you need to take.
Do that step. Then the next. Don't worry about the rest of the journey.
11. Upgrade Your Key Skills
The Core Concept: The better you are at a key task, the more motivated you are to do it. Weakness causes procrastination; mastery causes confidence. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Knowledge Obsolescence: Tracy notes that knowledge becomes obsolete quickly. He uses the metaphor that your skills are like physical assets that depreciate. You must constantly "upgrade" your mental software. The Action Items:
Identify the one skill that, if you were excellent at it, would help you the most in your career.
Set a goal, write a plan, and dedicate 15-30 minutes every day to studying this subject.
12. Leverage Your Special Talents
The Core Concept: You have unique talents that allow you to do certain things better and faster than others. Focus on your areas of uniqueness. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Michael Jordan Analogy: (In some editions/talks linked to this) Tracy often notes that you cannot be good at everything. Successful people find their "winning edge"—the specific thing they do effortlessly that others find difficult. The Action Items:
Ask yourself: "What am I really good at?" and "What do I enjoy doing the most?"
Commit to giving your best energies to your areas of unique talent.
13. Identify Your Key Constraints
The Core Concept: There is always a limiting factor (a bottleneck) that determines the speed at which you achieve a goal. 80% of constraints are internal (within you or your company), and only 20% are external. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Choke Point: Tracy imagines a manufacturing process. There is always one machine or step that is slower than the rest. Increasing the speed of other machines doesn't help; you must widen the choke point. The Action Items:
Identify your most important goal.
Ask: "What is the limiting factor that is holding me back from achieving this goal?"
Focus all your energy on alleviating that single constraint.
14. Put the Pressure on Yourself
The Core Concept: Only about 2% of people can work entirely without supervision. You must become your own taskmaster. Create "imaginary deadlines" to trick yourself into working faster. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Vacation Strategy: Tracy asks you to imagine you are leaving for a month-long vacation tomorrow. How hard would you work today to clear your desk? That is the level of intensity you should aim for daily. The Action Items:
Set deadlines for every task and sub-task.
Write down every step of a major job and set a time limit for each part.
15. Maximize Your Personal Powers
The Core Concept: Your physical energy is your fuel. Productivity declines when you are tired. You must guard your energy levels through rest and diet. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Engine: Tracy compares the human body to a high-performance engine. If you put poor fuel (junk food) in it or don't let it cool down (sleep), it will seize up. The Action Items:
Analyze your current energy levels. Are you working when you are most alert (usually mornings)?
Go to bed earlier. Resolve to take one full day off per week where you do absolutely no work.
16. Motivate Yourself into Action
The Core Concept: You must become your own cheerleader. Optimism is a learnable quality. Interpret every situation positively. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Optimist's Response: Tracy suggests that when things go wrong, optimists say, "That's good!" and then look for the lesson or the opportunity in the difficulty. The Action Items:
Control your inner dialogue. Say to yourself, "I like myself! I can do it!" repeatedly.
Refuse to complain about your problems to others.
17. Get Out of the Technological Time Sinks
The Core Concept: Technology can be a master or a servant. Constant connectivity (notifications, emails) fractures your focus and destroys productivity. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Addiction: Tracy describes the dopamine hit of checking email as an addiction that makes us feel important but actually makes us less intelligent (lowering effective IQ) by fragmenting our attention. The Action Items:
Turn it off. Create zones of silence where you disconnect from all devices.
Resolve not to check email first thing in the morning. Eat your frog before you check your inbox.
18. Slice and Dice the Task
The Core Concept: Psychologically, big tasks are scary. Cut them into tiny pieces to reduce resistance. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Salami Slice Method: You never eat a whole roll of salami at once; you eat it one thin slice at a time. Do one small part of the task, then stop.
The Swiss Cheese Method: Punch a "hole" in the task by doing something requiring 5 minutes or less, just to get started. The Action Items:
Take a large, procrastinated task and list 5 tiny steps you can do in under 10 minutes.
Do just one slice/hole right now.
19. Create Large Chunks of Time
The Core Concept: Important work requires long, uninterrupted blocks of time (60-90 minutes). You cannot do deep work in 10-minute fragments. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Do-Not-Disturb Sign: Tracy mentions the practice of successful salespeople who set aside specific "blocks" of time for calling where they do not allow interruptions, treating it like a scheduled appointment with themselves. The Action Items:
Schedule a 30, 60, or 90-minute time block on your calendar for tomorrow.
During this time, turn off your phone and email, and work on one task non-stop.
20. Develop a Sense of Urgency
The Core Concept: High-performing people have a "bias for action." They move fast. This speed triggers a "flow" state where you perform at your highest level. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The "Do It Now" Mantra: Tracy suggests repeating the phrase "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" to overcome the inertia of sitting still. The Action Items:
When an opportunity or problem arises, take action immediately.
Create a sense of urgency by moving faster than normal when you walk or move.
21. Single Handle Every Task
The Core Concept: Once you start a task, keep working on it until it is 100% complete. Starting and stopping can increase the time required to finish a task by 500% due to the time needed to re-familiarize yourself with the work. The Examples & Anecdotes:
The Postage Stamp: Tracy advises you to become like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until you get there. The Action Items:
Select your most important task for the day (Your Frog).
Start on it and discipline yourself to not stop, check your phone, or look away until it is 100% done.
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