At a dinner meeting the other night, I listened intently as the speaker entertained us with her inspiring story “Taking the Next Step.” The premise of the talk was that one should “eat your frog first thing.” This brought me back to my Dale Carnegie training. We were taught to tackle that big hairy revolting frog as the first call of business. You know, kind of like Nike… “Just Do it!”
There are mornings when I arrive in my home office, dressed and ready to pounce on that frog. Admittedly, there are other days when I kind of dance around it. Does this ever happen to you? It’s sitting there in the middle of your work space and you stare at it not wanting to disturb the slimy creature. Instead, you poke around it, accomplishing a number of mundane items that did not even make the days “to do” list. The fact is you cannot get to the darn to do list because his ugliness is parked on it. Hmmm….maybe a good time for a coffee break or to check out what’s happening on Facebook? You’re thinking perhaps, he’ll go away if you ignore him? Not a chance! That sucker is here to stay until you muster up the courage to take action.
Why do we procrastinate? Fear.
The question is, “How do we conquer fear?” We should take a deep breath, dive in with both feet and be done with it. The problem is we are not always prepared to do so. Something is holding us back.
Let me share a process I use to prod myself into doing battle with my unwanted office mate. I ask myself what is the worst thing that could happen if I take action? This starts to diminish my apprehension because I am sure the absolute worst will not happen.
Once I feel calmer, I usually come up with a plan and then try a dry run. If it’s a big frog, the solution might involve phoning a friend to serve as a sounding board or to ask for help in brainstorming.
Another excellent tactic is to visualize the reward. I imagine how happy I will be once I deal with the issue. Just think, I can get on with my day and accomplish some action items that lead up to realizing my dreams. Now, that’s more like it!
I often remind myself of something one of my mentors preached… “Even a turtle does not get ahead unless she sticks her neck out.” This saying helps me feel even more confident. Surely I have more fortitude than a turtle!
The crowning glory is conjuring up another illustrious pearl of wisdom I gleaned from a very wise man, “Beginning is half done!” There now, that’s the ticket. I’m back to the Nike philosophy, but this time with courage and conviction! I’m going for it!
Once the deed is done, it sometimes turns out like the fairy tale. You know the one where you kiss the frog and he turns into a handsome prince. Yes, often times dealing with Sir Froggy brings unimagined benefits.
The moral of the story? Find a way to kiss that frog and you may live happily ever after! If not, at least you now have your office all to yourself.
