Nothing is more depressing than knowing you've got a big task ahead of you and you've just wasted your entire weekend Facebooking (eherm).
While there is no permanent cure for procrastination, a best-selling book called 'Eat That Frog!' promises 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.
The saying 'eat the frog' refers to tackling the biggest or the hardest tasks first earlier, than later, in the day. This is apparently a tried-and-tested way to manage your time and climb the corporate ladder faster.
The Australian Filipina flips through the pages and fishes out three handy tips that are distinctly useful for the procrastinating Pinay. After all, we all can't find the frog that will turn into a (filthy rich) Prince Charming one day.
Tip No. 1 Plan Every Day in Advance
This is counter to the Filipino 'Bahala Na' or 'Que Sera, Sera' (Whatever will be, will be). The earlier you plan ahead, and the more thought you put into the plan, the better the plan is going to be.
The better the plan, the easier it is for you to stop procrastinating. In some cases, planning can add 'two extra hours' to your day.
Tip No. 2 Ask the Greatest Question Never Asked
If you are mid-career and stuck in a rut, you need to stop and ask yourself: 'What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest impact on my career?'
Ask your boss, ask your co-workers, and ask yourself this question. Once you have the answer, work on your performance in this key area.
Eat That Frog
It's been proven that nothing stops you from procrastinating than the knowledge of doing a task quicker, faster and better than many others. Use this as a building block to have a more rounded 'CV', cutting across not just one but multiple skillsets.
Remember, all business skills are learnable. Do it, and do it well.
Tip No. 3 Technology is Your Frenemy (Friend/Enemy)
This is a tough one but worth testing. The author of the book recommends the 80/20 rule. 80% of the emails you receive are time wasters and should be deleted immediately. Of the remaining 20%, only a fifth needs actioning immediately while the rest can be sorted and dealt with later.
The book earns bonus points for being light (only 130 pages long) and brief (clear, concise messages all through out). As to the effectiveness of Brian Tracy's recommendations, The Australian Filipina gives it a solid 8 out of 10. Worth a read.
Have stories like this delivered to your inbox weekly by subscribing for FREE here.