Time to Read: 3 mins
It’s been a good twenty years since I first read Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. 🐸
I’ll be honest… I assumed it had quietly taken its place among the classics and was now living out its retirement somewhere on a dusty bookshelf.
Then, I had a conversation with a vibrant twenty-something that made me laugh out loud.
She was animated, excited, and practically glowing as she asked if I’d ever heard of Eat That Frog. She told me she’d just ordered a copy and couldn’t wait for it to arrive.
I smiled, nodded… and went home to dig out my own weathered copy.
Yellowed pages. Worn cover. Notes in the margins from a much earlier version of me.
And as I reread it, something clicked.
These aren’t just productivity principles.
They’re self-leadership in action.
If you’ve never read it, it's essentially about taking responsibility for your own behavior and acting on what matters most, even when it’s uncomfortable or... you just don't feel like it. 😫
While the entire book is a lesson in leading yourself well,
there were three specific lessons that stood out to me this time around, because of how clearly they map to the three pillars of self-leadership.
1. Prepare Thoroughly Before You Begin
(Aligns with Pillar #1: How You Think)
Here’s what most people miss about preparation…
It’s not really about the task.
It’s about how you’re orienting yourself internally before you engage with it.
When you prepare well, you’re clarifying assumptions, reducing unnecessary mental noise, and creating a sense of cognitive steadiness before action is required.
You’re giving your mind a clear place to stand, and engaging in the self-leadership practice of leading your thinking on purpose.
In essence, you’re deciding how you want to approach the task, rather than letting uncertainty or mental clutter shape the experience for you.
That kind of clarity makes action far more available.
2. Do the Most Difficult Task First
(Aligns with Pillar #2: How You Act)
This is the heart of Eat That Frog.
At its core, this lesson is about behavioral integrity.
It’s about choosing your actions with intention, rather than letting discomfort quietly rearrange your priorities.
When you “eat the frog,” you’re practicing the skill of leading yourself into movement even when you're feeling resistance.
You’re actively deciding what matters most, and allowing that decision to guide your behavior.
Over time, this builds self-trust as you learn that discomfort doesn’t get to run the show. Your values do!
And that’s self-leadership in motion.
3. Leverage Your Special Talents
(Aligns with Pillar #3: How You Motivate Yourself)
This principle is a reminder that how you’re wired matters.
The way you naturally think, create, and solve problems directly influences your energy and engagement.
When a task connects to your strengths, momentum and motivation build more easily because the work resonates with who you are, not just what needs to get done.
From a self-leadership lens, this is about motivating yourself from the inside out.
You’re paying attention to what sustains you, not just what pressures you forward.
And that’s what makes effort more sustainable over time.
Taken together, these three principles quietly train you to lead yourself cognitively, behaviorally, and motivationally.
I personally believe that’s part of the reason this book has endured.
But then again, I am a self-leadership researcher and practitioner, so I may be biased. 😆
💡 Practionable Takeaway
Struggling to “eat that frog”? Here’s a simple self-leadership-infused approach to support your efforts:
Step 1: Prepare your thinking.
Before you do anything, take two minutes to get mentally steady.
What’s the actual outcome you’re aiming for here? What’s the very first visible step? If your brain is swirling, don’t push harder. Clarify first.
Step 2: Choose your frog.
Notice the task you’re most tempted to avoid, even though you know it’s important.
Name it. Then choose a starting point that feels doable... one paragraph, ten minutes, a single conversation. Taking action on small, intentional steps is how self-trust gets built.
Step 3: Use your strengths.
Make it easier to stay engaged by leaning into a strength. Ask yourself what you naturally do well that could support this task right now.
Remember, your strengths aren’t just nice to have. They’re a form of fuel that propels you forward.
That’s it.
Prepare your thinking. Choose your frog. Use your strengths.
Three classic principles. Three pillars of self-leadership. Boom.
🎥 Want to Go Deeper?
If you’ve been dealing with procrastination in a way that feels stubborn or confusing, this is exactly where my newest video picks up.
I walk you through how procrastination often functions as feedback, and how to decode what’s underneath it using the three pillars of self-leadership.
I even include a step-by-step worksheet!
Check it out here.👇
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To Your Success, 💜🧡
Laura
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