Eating a Frog First Thing in the Morning Really Impacts my Appetite
Have you tried it?
The phone alarm goes off each morning at 6:04 AM.
Why? Because I set it to do that. I chose to do that!
(I need to remind myself of that every time it happens- it is because I made the choice to set it for that time. UGH.)
I also remind myself that I’ve decided not to hit snooze. (This is a harsh reminder, and I don’t like it. But there we are.)
In fact, I have made a sign, just to irritate the Morning Self. The sign has a tiny smiley face and the message
‘Don’t hit snooze. Put on your shoes!’
I am irritated with Optimistic Self, and suspect that she knew this would grate on my nerves, but did it anyway. It works- I don’t hit snooze. After a brief sojourn in the bathroom I climb into my walking gear- casting a longing glance towards the coffee maker- and head out the door for a morning brisk walk in the early still dark morning..
Time to Eat That Frog!
Brian Tracy’s book, Eat That Frog!, was written for snooze-hitters, next-dayers, maybe-tomorrowers, and some-dayers; it was written for procrastinators like me.
People that dread doing something so they put it off for that ever-nebulous ‘later’. The thing they put off is, according to Tracy, their Frog.
And the longer you put off eating a Frog the harder it will be to make yourself do it.
The title came from a quote attributed to Mark Twain:
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
My Frog is exercise. The idea of morning exercise has long made my flesh crawl, convinced me to burrow deeper under the covers, and wonder at the sanity of those that manage to do it.
I figured that there’s time enough to do it ‘later’, maybe after work? Just before bed? OK- maybe the third Tuesday of next month? Maybe never?
That way of stinking-thinking isn’t doing me any favors. I need to stop putting off eating the daily Frog. So now it’s what I do first thing in the morning.
EVEN BEFORE MY CUP OF COFFEE!
This is What I Discovered
- Mark Twain was correct. Doing that ugly hard thing at the start of the day makes everything else look much easier!
- I hit my goals every day, most often well BEFORE that mythical after work ‘later’ timeframe! Usually I take a second walk in the evening and end up doubling my daily results.
- I actually eat less. No- I don’t have a ‘frog stuck in my throat’, but I’m not quite as hungry after that morning coffee. And since I’ve put energy into achieving better health first thing every day I am less inclined to stray from my eating plan for the rest of the day.
I encourage you to identify your Frog; what is that thing that you know you need to do but you have become a wizard at avoiding?
- Maybe you won’t do it right after your feet hit the ground.
- Maybe it’s something at work? You’ll do it once you get there.
- Maybe you need to talk to someone in a different time zone? You’ll do it once they awake.
Whatever your Frog is, trust me: it doesn’t taste any better when you put off eating it!
~
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About the Creator
Judey Kalchik
It's my time to find and use my voice.
Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.
You can also find me on Medium
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Comments (47)
Definitely hitting snooze a few times, I have to confess. Also going out for a morning walk on a cold day, when all you want to do to stay under the doonas. Throughout the day my smartphone used to be my frog. Great work. Like the Kermit image.
I appreciate your posting. I've read about a lot of related subjects! Contrary to other articles, yours left me with a really distinct impression. I hope you'll keep writing insightful posts like this one and others for us to everyone to read! https://runaway3d.io
boy is familiar! lol I start out with good routine and eating habits and something( bday, wedding or family outting), to pull me off track. Then I have to push myself to get back on track and do right by myself. Never heard this about the Frog....love it and passing it on to those I love thanks for sharing this cute story
Congrats on your leaderboard placement Judey. I’ve read this piece of yours before, but I’ve tried to ‘modify’ my morning routine slightly. Only time will tell if there are benefits. Thanks 😊
https://vocal.media/poets/whispers-of-depth Wow! such a great one, enjoyed every bit of it .. Checkout my poem too, I'm sure you'll like it.
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This is such an inspiration Judey. Now I feel like I’ll have to follow suit haha.
It’s a great concept! You did a great job of condensing the book. I have so many frogs I could start a farm 😂. Problem is, they jump around so much I can’t catch them, never mind eat them 😂
Oh shoot! This is the kind of motivational article I love. My “frog” is making important phone calls, online bill pay, returns, making appointments, etc. I hate that crap! Taking care of it first thing would make my whole day better!
Smack smack chew … swallow, gulp! Your advice is so on point! Congratulations on the TS recognition. 🥇
Judey, HOW DID I MISS THIS!! Congrats on Top Story! I love this idea of doing the most challenging thing first. I am a make a task list and write "make a list" so I can cross it off, kinda girl. However, I am willing to try eating the frog, which would also be exercise! I love reading your thoughts!
This was a fun read. I’m a natural morning person who loves physical activity. I wake up before the sun without an alarm, run, shower, then walk 2 miles to work. But my frog is that I hate cooking dinner. I have found that if I do it when I first get home, I’m less likely to get stoned and order Five Guys instead lol. And I make good dinners. But if I get home and get comfortable in my favorite chair, it’s not happening.
I enjoyed reading this, Judey. Great article, and well done on getting the top story, too! :)
I'm under the impression that my bed is my frog. Every night I tell myself I'm going to get out bed tomorrow. Unfortunately I still find myself croaking away the next day. Could i possibly be the frog??
This is great advice, but I'll probably think about it later. Congrats on the TS
Phew! I’m glad this article was about procrastination and not culinary advice! Great piece and good points.
Some really good insights and suggestions. I do make an effort to complete the challenging tasks first because doing so makes everything simpler, but if I don't, they can start to weigh on my mind. Moreover, congrats on your Top Story. https://www.myfedloan.us/
Nice one
This is excellent advise. Well done Judey. You have such a keen sense of humour that I love. Congrats on the Top Story.
Educative
Some excellent observations and ideas. I do try and get the difficult stuff out of the way and that does make things easier, but if I don't get them done they do prey on my mind a little. Also congratulations on your Top Story.
Thank you for your wonderful words! ^_^
Great read!!
Judey, I have been struggling to motivate myself for exactly the same reasons but this has inspired me. We share the same frog! Great piece. Loved it.
Ouuuu, I love this!! What an awesome approach. You nailed this article. Thank you so much for writing and sharing this, Judey! 👏🏻❤️