nov dec issue FINAL.indd - Custom Home Furnishings Academy

Book Review
Zona Tiller
Eat That Frog!
By Brian Tracy
If in the morning you have to “eat a live frog,”
you know that when you have accomplished
that task it is probably the worst thing you
will have to do all day. Why just sit and look
at it Get it done!
I have just finished reading Eat that Frog,
by Brian Tracy. It is a very good book about
organizing yourself to keep from being a
procrastinator. While reading the forum for years,
I have noticed that some time after Christmas,
in the dead of winter, some people have trouble
getting back into gear. And we also think of goals
we need to set for the New Year. This book will
help you accomplish just that.
Highly productive people take the time to think,
plan, and set priorities. They move quickly and
strongly toward their goals and objectives. They
work steadily, smoothly and continuously and
seem to get through enormous amounts of work
in the same time period that the average person
spends socializing, wasting time, and working
on low-value activities. How can we be that
productive person
Brian Tracy starts with seven methods for
overcoming procrastination.
1. Decide exactly what you want.
Know what your goals for your business are–for a
week or even a day. Know what projects need to
be done and prioritize them.
2. Write it down.
If it isn’t written down it’s just a wish or a
fantasy. Become a list writer. By writing down
goals you could accomplish 5 to 10 more goals
than someone who doesn’t write them down.
3. Set a deadline.
You need a beginning and an end. Without the
deadline you could procrastinate forever.
4. Make a list.
A list of everything you need to accomplish your
goal will give you a visual picture. Do you have
all the supplies on hand to complete the project
Have everything there before you begin.
5. Organize your list into a plan.
Organize by priority and sequence. Know in your
mind how to complete the project. Look and study
your pattern if you are using one. Or know what
steps and sequence you need to follow to complete
the treatment. Plan it all out before you begin.
6. Take action immediately.
Do something. Do anything.
7. Do something every day toward the goal.
Keep moving forward. Once you start moving,
don’t stop. This decision alone can make you
productive and successful.
Clear written goals have a wonderful effect on
your thinking. They stimulate your creativity,
release your energy, and help you overcome
procrastination.
Plan each day in the order of importance. This
is the ABCDE method. Think about each task
and start with the one thing that must get done.
Choose something that will bring negative
consequences if it’s not done. This is your “A”
task.
In our business, an “A” task might be a project
that needs to be installed by the end of the week.
If you have several treatments to do, in different
sizes or different ranges of difficulties, start with
the largest or most difficult item. The job will
move along so much easier knowing the worst
one is out of the way. When the “A” task is done,
continue on to the “B” task.
40 The Custom Home Furnishings Magazine November/December 2006