Hey there —

What’s the first thing you did when you sat down to work today?

💻 Open every single workspace app on your computer?
✉️ Check your email?
🔍 Search for the perfect gif to add to the #watercooler Slack channel?

Or maybe it was any number of other extremely necessary and very important tasks before getting down to the business of doing the one thing that actually needs to be done.

If any of this is striking a nerve, welcome to our March Habit Challenge. 😉 It’s time to eat the frog.

Don’t worry Kermit, we don’t mean that literally.

The term “eat the frog” was coined by time-management expert Brian Tracy, and it’s based on various versions of a quote that is usually attributed (like most sage wisdom on the internet) to Mark Twain:

“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”

Whatever the origins of the phrase, the modern advice behind “eating the frog” boils down to this: it’s best to tackle your most difficult and important task first thing in the day.

This strategy helps ensure that the essential stuff — the work that will actually move the needle toward completing that project or meeting that goal — always gets done (even if you spend the rest of the day playing Animal Crossing).

And eating the frog has additional productivity-boosting perks:

🕗 It curbs procrastination. No more putting off that intimidating work or school assignment until after lunch (…or tomorrow…or next week).

🧑‍💻 It minimizes multitasking. By identifying a single, top-priority task, you can reduce the urge to bounce from project to project.

🏃 It provides momentum. With the hardest part already done, any remaining smaller tasks will feel easier to accomplish.

💪 It prioritizes better work over busywork. Because you’re using your limited mental energy where it’s needed most — instead of immediately draining it on minor to-dos that aren’t as impactful in the long run — you’ll get more high-quality work done in less time.

But the benefits aren’t just about productivity. Eating the frog can also help you avoid burnout and create a better work-life balance.

In a recent study by cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Sahar Yousef, she and her lab walked one organization through a challenge that had every person set 1-3 daily MITs (most important tasks) and share them via Slack. As Dr. Yousef explains:

“MITs...are meaningful chunks of work that, when completed, make the day feel like a success and allow yourself permission to ‘turn off’ and stop checking email and doing work late into the day.”

After just three weeks of setting MITs, the organization saw not only a 28% increase in individual productivity, but a 42% reduction in burnout “from the CEO all the way down to the newest intern.”

By identifying your “frog” (aka most important task) each day, you can let go of the overwhelming notion that you must “juggle it all” when it comes to your to-do list. And by eating that frog first thing in the morning, you’ll have the satisfaction that comes with doing your best, most productive work (plus the relief of getting it off your plate).

With this daily sense of accomplishment, you can rest in the confidence that you’ve made real progress toward your goals — and maybe even clock out a little early. 🎉

Participate in the challenge!

Daily action: Every morning for the next 30 days, complete your most important task first.

To help you track your progress, download this printable Habit Tracker to mark off each day you eat that frog.

And after you’ve finished the challenge, fill out this Challenge Reflection to look back at your experience, take note of what you learned, and decide if this is a habit you want to make a permanent part of your routine.

Tips for success

📅 Plan ahead. At the end of each workday, think about what you need to accomplish the next day. Then make yourself a note (digital or analog), put it at the top of your to-do list (we recommend TeuxDeux’s free mobile app), or add it to your calendar. No wasting energy trying to decide where to dedicate your time in the morning!

⏳Set boundaries. If your work necessitates checking Slack or email in the morning so that you know what your most important task of the day is, that’s okay! But give yourself a time limit to assess what’s needed and gather any essential info (that means no wandering over to the #watercooler just yet!).

🔕 Limit distractions. Once you’re ready to tackle your top task, it’s time to close those apps and silence notifications. You might also consider letting your boss and coworkers (or your spouse or roommates if you work from home!) know what hours you’d like to be as interruption-free as possible.

🍴Don’t bite off more than you can chew. This isn’t a frog-eating contest where the prize goes to the person who can eat the most (or the largest) frogs. So stick with one task and make sure it’s achievable. “Draft script” or “Film B-roll” is much more doable and clear than “Make a YouTube video.”

🧑‍🎓 Adapt this strategy to your specific situation. Are you a student who has to be in class first thing in the morning? You can still use the principle of eating the frog to put your most important task at the top of your to-do list — even if that means prioritizing which class assignment you tackle first after dinner.

How to pick the right frog (additional reading & resources)

Let’s be honest — your current to-do list probably has more than one item on it.

So what happens when you have multiple tasks that feel equally important? How do you decide which one to prioritize?

If you’re feeling stuck when it comes to identifying your most important task, here are a couple strategies to help you pick the right frog. 🐸

The Eisenhower Matrix

By todoist

“I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”—Dwight D. Eisenhower

Popularized by Stephen Covey in his best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Eisenhower Matrix helps you sort your tasks into four quadrants:

Urgent & Important
Not Urgent & Important
Urgent & Not Important
Not Urgent & Not Important

This article will walk you through each quadrant and (even better) how to balance those quadrants so your time is spent more effectively. ⌚

Check it out →

How to identify your most important task according to economists

By Younes Henni, PhD

When task-management strategies like the Eisenhower Method still leave you with multiple tasks to choose between, Younes Henni advises using the popular economics tool of opportunity cost to narrow in on what’s the best use of your time.

By weighing the opportunity cost — the potential benefits you’ll miss out on when choosing one option over another — you can more clearly see which task will have the greatest impact on your overall progress. 📈

Learn more →

Written by Ashley Martin

Edited by Matt D’Avella