Image credit: IgorFaun
“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning.”
-Mark Twain
Have you heard that quote?
It means that if you have a difficult or unpleasant task you should do it first, when willpower is high, to get it out of the way.
It has become a popular battle cry for productivity and achievement experts. In fact, one of the most successful speakers of all time, Brian Tracy, wrote a book on productivity titled, “Eat that Frog!”
It’s a productivity classic. It makes sense. It works for a lot of people.
And yet…
For years, I tried to follow it.
But every time I stared down that frog, whether it was cold outreach, creating content, practicing my keynote, or some other high-resistance task, my brain responded with a very clear message:
“Ugh. How about I do literally anything else instead.”
The result? Guilt, procrastination, and a lot of unfinished frogs.
Turns out, while frog-eating works for some, it’s not the only way to do things.
A New Way to Structure Motivation
During a recent podcast interview with ExxonMobil leader Alex Bolkhovsky, I found someone who felt the same way.
Alex shared that instead of front-loading his week with tasks he dreads, he does the opposite:
Monday = Something You’re Excited About
Midweek = Less Fun, More Grit Friday = End on a High Note
Why? Because when you start the week with something you enjoy, you actually look forward to Monday. And when you end the week with something fun, you leave with a good taste in your mouth (instead of the bitter aftertaste of Friday fatigue).
This simple shift creates momentum, motivation, and—maybe most importantly—joy.
I’ve started trying this myself. And let me tell you: It works a lot better than trying to choke down a frog at sunrise.
But Let’s Be Clear: Frogs Do Work for Some People
There are people who thrive on structure and routine—who love checking the hardest task off the list first. For them, the discipline-first, “swallow the frog” strategy makes total sense.
If that’s you, awesome. Keep chewing.
But if it’s not you? That doesn’t mean you’re lazy or somehow broken.
I used to feel a lot of guilt—and honestly, shame—because I couldn’t make the “eat the frog” method work. I figured the problem must be me. Everyone else seems to be doing it, right?
Turns out, there’s nothing wrong with me. I just needed a different strategy. One that works with my energy and motivation—not against it.
The Key: Know Thyself
One of the principles I talk about in many of my “Yes, And” programs is to “Say ‘yes, and’ to your core.”
It all starts with self-awareness: know who you are, what your strengths and weaknesses are, know what motivates and pushes you, and then design your days and life around those things as much as possible.
Then it continues with self-acceptance: Being ok with not doing things the way the “experts” tell you to.
The Takeaway
If “eat the frog” works for you, keep going!
But if it doesn’t, here’s your permission to stop forcing it.
Instead:
- Start your Monday with something you want to do.
- Give yourself (and your team) a win to kick off the week.
- Bookend your week with energy.
- Save the frog-eating for when your momentum is high.
Because when you work with your natural motivation—when you say Yes, And to how you’re wired—you get more done, feel better doing it, and build real progress instead of just guilt.
If you want to listen to the podcast interview with Alex, which is chock full of insight and actionable ideas to be more effective and to embrace and lead change, you can do so here.
If you have thoughts about this concept, please share them with me, and let me know if there is anything I can help you with!