Accountability Challenge Week 43: Eat That Frog
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Mark Twain
“If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long.” -Mark Twain
Why do we procrastinate?
When something is difficult/Unpleasant-solution do it now-Eat That Frog.
- When something is time consuming-break it down into small tasks-Tell yourself that you will work on the task for ten minutes and not more-you will be pleasantly surprised by what happens.
- When we feel we lack the knowledge or the skills. This could be because you do not want to make mistakes. So, you convince your-self that you must learn before beginning the task. Tell yourself that “this is easy”. Try it for yourself first. If it really is outside your skill set (which it probably isn’t) ask for help.
- When we are afraid: Again tell yourself “this is easy”. “I can do this”. One of my favourite questions is to ask myself: “What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this”? List out all the possible outcomes. Odds are that it isn’t life threatening. If that’s the case then the best thing to do is to “Eat That Frog”.
More Complex Reasons:
- Low Frustration tolerance
- Self-Downing-putting yourself down
- Perfectionism
- Anger/Hostility
What we have explained above are just some of the simple reasons why people procrastinate. There are more complicated reasons and we shall explain those to you in the next section. But, the reasons do not matter! What is MOST important is that you know when you are procrastinating. You must be able to understand that you are procrastinating.
Procrastinators are made not born. Procrastination is learned in the family milieu, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having a harsh, controlling father keeps children from developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one of the few forms available under such circumstances
Is what you’re doing right now tension relieving or goal achieving?
Expect Success,
Mark,
Thought for the week:“If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long.” -Mark Twain
Mark,
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
