21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

My book came international slow mail to the Caribbean, so I didn't have high expectations. So I was really surprised that it came two weeks prior to the projected time. Pristine condition too! Brian Tracy is always top line. I'm going to focus on this book over the next week. Heaven knows I need the help. I'll work on another review on the content soon.

If you read the first couple pages, you'll understand 90% of the book. In fact, just the phrase itself will keep you from having to waste your time with this. The only reason I read it all the way through was because it was a required reading for a college class. Almost all the content is taken straight out from other, better self development books, so I guess if you don't do any other reading, then it will work.

Brian Tracy’s third edition of Eat That Frog! is a well-timed reminder of the need for intentional focus on getting our most important work done. Each of the book’s 21 chapters offers practical tips and techniques to organize and prioritize each day for success.

For instance, chapter 4 encourages us to “Consider the Consequences,” or to think about the long-term ramifications of our actions. Brian shares the rule, “There will never be enough time to do everything you have to do.” He then suggests three questions to help complete our most important tasks on schedule:

• What are my highest value activities?
• What can I and only I do, that if done well, will make a real difference?
• What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

I highly recommend Eat That Frog! as a tool for increased impact and effectiveness. Read one chapter each day, reflect on the questions, and follow through on the exercises. You will increase your awareness of how you use your time and change your behaviors to become more productive.

In "Eat that Frog," motivational speaker and author Brian Tracy supplies 21 recommendations for better time management to be more productive with less procrastinating. This is a short, fast read. It has enough detail to make it worth reading, but at the same time it is not so process heavy that it is hard to get through. As the author says, it doesn't go into all the psychology of procrastination; rather, it gets right to the action. Brian Tracy covers such things as determining priorities, delegating and eliminating some tasks, knowing what's okay to procrastinate about, and whether to tackle your "frog" (your big task that will lend the greatest results) first or a lesser priority task.
The result is a clear, concise book that is helpful and shows that by regularly eating your frogs first, you develop a habit that makes it easier to accomplish more than the average person and do it with increasingly less effort.

I give this 4 stars because I think individuals seeking productivity insights will find value here. HOWEVER, there are a few suggestions in the book I don't agree with (1-2 stars). So ...
This book is short enough to scan, get a sense of the overall text, and then read incrementally.
Most chapters are fast reads--do these while on a treadmill or as part of a daily morning/evening learning session. Make notes about what will help you in your journey to be more productive.
What you need to be cautious about is advice about work socialization as falling into productivity killers. There are times when investing in building work relationships is incredibly valuable--even integral to building consensus around critical issues. Professionals, especially women, do need to invest time at the watercooler or with colleagues and find ways to find ways to determine colleagues' positions on important issues, who is an advocate, who is not, etc..

I found Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog!” to be very motivating. Most people think I don’t procrastinate, but I have a secret…..I’m great at procrastinating! “Eat that Frog!” has provided me with some tips that I hope will help me to break the procrastination habit. One of my favorites is on page 51, in the boxed in area. “If I could do only one thing all day long, which one task would contribute the greatest value to my career?”

“Eat That Frog!” is a short book, but with big messages; at 119 pages, I believe the average reader could easily read it in just a couple of hours. The sections are short, and I like the index. This would be a wonderful graduation gift for just about anyone.

If you need help learning some tips and techniques for getting ahead in your career or crossing a lot of things off your to-do list, this is a helpful book! In the preface, the author mentions how he faced that same struggle early in his career, and made the pivotal decision to learn from the "experts" in his field. His goal became to find out what other successful people do, and do the same things until he got the same results. After studying the habits and advice from dozens of time management experts, his ultimate takeaway was: "Do things differently, and do the right things right."

This book distills those "different" and "right" things in 21 practical steps that have been proven to increase productivity, performance, value, and output. They include ideas like clarifying your goals in writing, focusing on activities rather than accomplishments, understanding the 80-20 principle, doing the hardest task first, following the rule of 3, using technology as a servant rather than a master, even setting up your desk the right way. Each step is explained clearly and concisely in 2-4 page chapters, and includes 2-3 actions to put it into immediate practice.

While the steps are practical and immediately actionable, my only complaint is that the book doesn't deal more deeply with the "why" of personal productivity. For instance, the author makes the claim that "the ability to concentrate single-mindedly on your most important task, to do it well and to finish it completely, is the key to great success, achievement, respect, status, and happiness in life." That's a noble aim, but it assumes you already know what's most important to you, how you define success, or what will bring the most satisfying results in both your work and personal life. It also does not differentiate very well between efficiency (getting more done) and effectiveness (getting the best things done).

Psychology aside, however, the techniques and methods shared in this book are not vague or ineffective: they are detailed and practical, simple to act upon, and proven to increase efficiency and help you become a more valuable worker.

I love this book! I first listened to the audiobook several times, but wanted it in print so I could make notes and follow along. I was excited that a new version was being released. I have also ordered the workbook and I am looking forward to it's arrival in July 2017.

This book is short and to the point. No fluff, just amazing ideas to be more productive. The best self-help book I've ever come across.

I loved this book! Concise and motivating for professionals who pile too much on themselves. It's easy to get buried in the weeds of so many small tasks. Many times I've felt like a hamster on a wheel going nowhere. This book has a lot of great reminders of putting what is most important first.

Yes, this book isn’t groundbreaking. But, for the time, value, and tips this book is a fantastic way to sharpen or build your time management skills. Highly recommended to anyone that needs a little pop of encouragement and skills to help them step up their lives.

OUTSTANDING! This book could easily be a "must read" for high school students. Easy reading....understandable how-to apply the principle's. This was a great reminder for me to start with the big, ugly, need-to but hate to face the number one priority on my list each day. Stay with that priority unto completion. The personal rewards and satisfaction of the finished job is a great motivator to continue eating the big ugly frog first thing everyday. I will encourage students to read and then apply these teaching in their lives. Really loved this book.

I really enjoying reading the third edition of Brian Tracy's classic, EAT THAT FROG! If you're constantly saying things like, "I'm swamped," and you find that you don't ever seem to be able to get to your most important tasks, then this book's for you! Before I even finished reading it, I found that it had already profoundly affected the way I made decisions about what tasks to engage in, what goals to pursue, and what directions I should undertake for the future. If you need guidance for how to pursue your "main thing" more effectively, then read this book as soon as you can!

So...I have been doing the system backwards. I always tackle the small things so I can make way for the big things, but Brian Tracy makes great points throughout this book on why tackling that "frog" first is key to a successful day. Great insight in this book.

This book was so motivational. I highly recommend that you read it slow, so you can take everything in and meditate on the self-help principals. I read it too quickly, because it was on audio book. I feel like I need to read it again, just so I can meditate on all the great information. I will definitely be reading more books from this author in the future.

Eat That Frog is a great read. The information inside is easy to understand and implement. This is a book you need to read more that once to catch all the good information. I highly recommend reading this.