Eat the frog
Do your hardest, most important task first.
Eat the frog means picking the one task you are most likely to avoid, and doing it first thing. Everything after feels easier.
Try it now
Tap the flame to choose today’s frog. It moves to the top.
This demo isn’t saved. Start a full session to keep your stats.
Plan your real day with this techniqueHow it works
The “frog” is the important task you’d rather not do. If you tackle it at the start of the day, while your energy is highest, the rest of the day is free of that background dread.
In FocusKept you can mark exactly one frog per day. It is pinned to the top of today’s list and suggested as your first session.
Step by step
- The evening before or first thing, choose today’s frog: important and easy to avoid.
- Mark it as the frog so it sits at the top of today.
- Start your first focus session on the frog before anything else.
- Keep going until it’s done or clearly moving.
Best for
- Procrastination on important tasks
- Mornings with high energy
- Busy days that otherwise fill with small tasks
When not to use it
- When the hardest task depends on someone else being available
Questions
Where does the name come from?
From a saying often attributed to Mark Twain: if you have to eat a live frog, do it first thing in the morning. Brian Tracy turned it into a productivity method.
Can I have more than one frog?
No, one per day keeps the decision clear. Choosing a new frog replaces the old one.
What if my frog is too big for one session?
Break it down and make the first concrete step today’s frog. Starting is the hardest part.