If your to-do list makes you want to crawl back into bed, you might need a frog. No, really. The "eat the frog" technique is one of the simplest — and most effective — productivity methods out there, and it's especially useful for office managers juggling a dozen priorities before lunch.
The Idea: Do Your Worst Task First
Eat a frog in the morning: And yes, I'm mentally perfectly fine. 😀 This productivity technique tells you to schedule the most challenging task at the beginning of the day. You know, the one you really don't want to do. Like calling a difficult client or finally opening that email that's been haunting you for days and that you've been really trying to ignore. (I know it's there!)
Find out why this technique has such a bizarre name, how it actually boosts your confidence and how to become a master frog-eater here.
Me, trying to get through my Monday work assignments.
Where Does "Eat the Frog" Come From?
The phrase is often attributed to Mark Twain — the idea being that if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day. According to Quote Investigator, there's no solid evidence Twain actually said it. The saying likely traces back to the 18th-century French writer Nicolas Chamfort, who made a similar remark about swallowing a toad to steel yourself for the day ahead.
The concept was popularized in the modern productivity world by Brian Tracy in his 2001 book Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. Tracy's core argument: your "frog" is the most important and impactful task on your list — the one you're most likely to avoid. Do it first, before distractions pile up.
How to Eat the Frog as an Office Manager
The eat the frog method is straightforward, but here's how to make it work in a busy office environment:
Identify your frog the evening before. Before you leave, pick the single most important (and dreaded) task for tomorrow. Write it down.
Do it before checking email. Emails pull you into reactive mode. Your frog needs focused, proactive energy — tackle it first. [internal link: desk booking / hybrid work planning]
Keep it to one frog. The technique works because it narrows your focus. One big task, done well, before anything else.
Pair it with time-blocking. Block 60–90 minutes on your calendar for your frog. Treat it like a meeting you can't skip.
Track your wins. After a week of eating frogs, notice how much lighter your afternoons feel — and how much less you dread Mondays.
The eat the frog technique isn't about doing more. It's about doing the right thing first — and letting everything else feel easier by comparison.
