Why ‘eating your frog’ is terrible advice.

We’re designed to feel good. We should be working with our body instead of against it. We’re so used to overriding our body with our brain that leads to burnout.

Why not use our physiology to feel good AND get shit done?

Here’s how.

We want to use dopamine, aka the reward drug to light us up. We’re tricked into thinking we’ve done something epic so we build momentum into doing something else.

It’s why we get such a high from scrolling and learning.

Our brain lights up and it makes us want to do more aka addiction.

❌ Eating your frog does the opposite of this.

It scares us into inaction.

Instead, your most significant and scariest task of the day needs a dopamine run-up.

By executing a small, easy task first and ticking it off our to-do list, we’re getting a dopamine hit. We’re then primed to do another one, and another, and another.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — You must write the task down and tick it off. Even if it’s not on your list, write it down and tick it off. Acknowledging it is the feel-good part.

• Your done list is more powerful than your to-do list*

It’s why Navy SEALS make their bed. It’s a quick win.

📝 USE PAPER — The act of writing and tick it off does something magical in your brain that you don’t get from a digital list. Draw a simple box, write your to-do, tick the box.

Pick your smallest task, do it and tick it off. Feel the accomplishment then more to a bigger task.