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On My Bookshelf: Eat that Frog!

Eat that frog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & BOOK

Brian’s goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined.

Brian Tracy has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 70 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.

He has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.

He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, best-selling Psychology of Achievement, which has been translated into more than 28 languages.

He speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America’s largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Self-Esteem, Goals, Strategy, Creativity and Success Psychology bring about immediate changes and long-term results. (taken from www.braintracy.com)

The Book: There just isn’t enough time for everything on our “To Do” list — and there never will be. Successful people don’t try to do everything. They learn to focus on the most important tasks and make sure they get done.

There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day. Using “eat that frog” as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day — the one you are most likely to procrastinate on, but also probably the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life — Eat That Frog! shows you how to zero in on these critical tasks and organize your day.

 

MY REVIEW – Eat That Frog!

It was a couple years ago that I started a new little tradition for myself. That tradition consists of reading a book on time management or goal setting at the start of the new year. I usually get excited when the new year comes anyways, but I noticed reading books on achievement pumped me up even more and caused me to learn new tools. This year the book I chose to read was Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.

This book focuses on procrastination and time management. It’s chockfull of helpful tips and tools on. Last year was a year of procrastination and uncertainty; with moving to a new city and not knowing what my future held I wanted to do the bare minimum. It was a very different year for me overall, but now I am feeling more secure in this season and feel ready to tackle some big “frogs.”

Eat that Frog - Mark twainThis new edition is revised and updated throughout, and includes brand new information on how to keep technology from dominating our time.” In Eat that Frog, Tracy takes the concept for his book from the famous quote of Mark Twain, which is: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

The whole idea is If we can eat the “task” or “goal” we have always wanted to achieve right in the morning, then the rest of the day will be smooth. Tracy helps you to discover what is really what you wanting to accomplish, how to get rid of hindrances and to do the thing you have always wanted to do.

The book is broken down into 21 chapters, that are extremely applicable and life changing if we really put them into practice. Reading the book on its own won’t change you. You have to take the initiative to eat your frog. The crazy thing is that this book is about procrastination, but it has a lot of powerful truths that are about leadership.

I think that’s why I enjoyed this book so much. It didn’t just target my love to achieve goals, but my heart to be a good leader who won’t just sit around and do nothing.
This is really hard for me to do, but here are just 3 quotes that impacted me:

  • Chapter 2 – Consider the Consequences: “Successful people are those who are willing to delay gratification and make sacrifices in the short term so that they can enjoy far greater rewards in the long-term”
  • Chapter 9 – Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin: “The biggest enemies we have to overcome on the road to success are not a lack of ability and a lack of opportunity but fears of failure and rejection and the doubts that they trigger. The only way to overcome your fears is “to do the thing you fear,” as Emerson wrote, “and the death of fear is certain.”
  • Chapter 16 – Motivate Yourself To Action: “Most of your emotions, positive or negative, are determined by how you talk to yourself on a minute-to-minute basis. It is not what happens to you but the way you interpret the things that are happening to you that determines how you feel. Your version of events largely determines whether these events motivate or de-motivate you, whether they were energized or de-energize you.”

So, if you are looking for a book that will give you a good kick of motivation, with tons of practical tools. I highly recommend Eat That Frog!

Want to read more book reviews? Check them out here: Book Reviews

More Books By Brian Tracy


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