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A review by gretatimaite
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
It's a productivity book, what else can I add? As it says, it provides 21 ways, or principles, on how to get things done. I do not think the suggestions are bad but they are not revolutionary either. For example, tips on planning a day in advance and setting priorities will be, most likely, outlined in every self-help book.
One of the reviewers (yes, I read reviews) complained that the book contains many generalizations and I agree. But also Brian Tracy clearly sets out his intention of being general: “There are no lengthy departures into theory or research. What you will learn are specific actions you can take immediately to get better, faster results in your work and to increase your happiness.” So I did not have any expectations for scientific research to be discussed. If you think of it as a limitation or not, is up to you.
I had another problem, though. Let's refer to it as a clash of principles. For instance, his third rule is “Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything”. You know, 20% of what you do will bring 80% of results. So focus on those 20% (given that they are key tasks). But then principle eight says: “Apply the Law of Three”. It means the identification of three key tasks that account for 90% of your contribution. So do I focus on three key tasks or on the tasks that are in my top 20% based on importance? Is there a clash or I just missed some kind of a nuance??? Also I won't discuss how Brian Tracy argues that good time management and productivity is to give yourself more time to foster meaningful relationships and that work-life balance is important (see principle 8) but also in principle thirteen ("Put the Pressure on Yourself") he says: “Make a game of starting a little earlier, working a little harder, and staying a little later.” OK, work hard but don't you try to improve your time management so you don't have to come earlier or stay longer?
But I like how "Eat that frog!" sounds. It's a good line - very memorable.
One of the reviewers (yes, I read reviews) complained that the book contains many generalizations and I agree. But also Brian Tracy clearly sets out his intention of being general: “There are no lengthy departures into theory or research. What you will learn are specific actions you can take immediately to get better, faster results in your work and to increase your happiness.” So I did not have any expectations for scientific research to be discussed. If you think of it as a limitation or not, is up to you.
I had another problem, though. Let's refer to it as a clash of principles. For instance, his third rule is “Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything”. You know, 20% of what you do will bring 80% of results. So focus on those 20% (given that they are key tasks). But then principle eight says: “Apply the Law of Three”. It means the identification of three key tasks that account for 90% of your contribution. So do I focus on three key tasks or on the tasks that are in my top 20% based on importance? Is there a clash or I just missed some kind of a nuance??? Also I won't discuss how Brian Tracy argues that good time management and productivity is to give yourself more time to foster meaningful relationships and that work-life balance is important (see principle 8) but also in principle thirteen ("Put the Pressure on Yourself") he says: “Make a game of starting a little earlier, working a little harder, and staying a little later.” OK, work hard but don't you try to improve your time management so you don't have to come earlier or stay longer?
But I like how "Eat that frog!" sounds. It's a good line - very memorable.