Motivational speaker, author, and time management expert, Brian Tracy, shares 21 ways you can stop procrastinating and get more things done in less time in his fast-read book, Eat That Frog! It is a clever read with insightful tips and creative ways to get over the procrastination hump and get more accomplished in your work day. The book is based on the premise of the Mark Twain quote, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” The concept is that if we tackle the task that we’ve put off for various reasons, (e.g. too difficult, too time-consuming, not enjoyable, etc.), first, the rest of the things we have to do during the day will seem much easier to tackle. Eat That Frog! is a highly recommended book to add to your business library, but until then, here are four key takeaways you can begin implementing immediately:

1.) Remember the 80/20 Rule

Also known as the Pareto principle, the 80/20 Rule means that 20% of the time you invest in something will produce 80% of the results. In other words, there are strengths and talents that you apply to projects every day that make up the bulk of your productivity and success. The key is to first identify what makes up that 20% and harness it. Recognize those gifts and strengths and apply them to every project first. Apply the 80/20 rule to your biggest frog first and resist the urge to clean up small tasks first. Key Point: Spend your best 20% first on the toughest project (ugliest frog) in order to get 80% accomplished.

2.) Implement the ABCDE Method

The “ABCDE method” refers to grouping tasks to be done by priority in addition to by due date. All “A” tasks are of the highest priority, whereas “E” tasks are ones that you can basically drop because they’re unimportant. This concept was further developed by Stephen Covey in his popular time-management books. The process is simple in that if you prioritize your to-do list as well as look at it by due date, then it will become clear exactly what you should be working on. Focus on that, and only that, until it’s complete. Another Mark Twain quote that Tracy shares is, “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.” After determining which frog to work on, work on it with total focus until you’ve swallowed all of it. Key Point: Prioritize to complete the most important projects before anything else.

3.) Slice and Dice

Eating some of the ugliest, meanest frogs first can be a daunting task. In order to accomplish these tasks, try slicing up the project into easier manageable tasks that you can handle. This process allows you to not be so intimidated by the project or task and to eventually get to the end of it with success. When you encounter overwhelming tasks, look at ways that you can break them into smaller parts that can be handled in one session. Use your ABCDE method to label sliced up parts into priorities in order to get the job done. Key Point: Taking smaller bites of a larger project can help you get more done than just looking at the task in its entirety.

4.) Intensely Focus Until the End

Tracy states in his book that successful people will take on a task and not let go of it until it is completely finished. After determining the frog to eat, focus intensely on the project, blocking out all distractions until the project is completed. Think of these prioritized projects as something that you have to get done today, or as Tracy put it, imagine that you were leaving tomorrow for a vacation. What is the one thing that you have to get accomplished today that only you can do before you leave? It is with that sense of intensity and focus that we should tackle our frogs. Key Point: Practice focusing with laser-like intensity on a project until you’ve completed it in its entirety. One way to get over procrastination is to eat a frog first thing in the morning. Find your frogs and begin applying these four steps to them today!

Johnny Duncan, President of Duncan Consulting, Inc., is a business writer and consultant partnering with business owners to provide workforce management solutions including customer service training, job analysis, people-to-job matches, and conflict resolution.  He can be reached at johnny@duncanconsult.com or by calling 407-739-0718.