Behold the frog herding master. Who is that, you ask? That’s me.

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
— Mark Twain

If there’s one skill I’ve mastered, it’s the art of collecting frogs.
I am the most expert frog collector you’ll ever meet.
If there were a championship for accumulating tasks I know I need to do, I’d be undefeated.

I know what I need to do. I know I should do it. I even know how to do it. And yet, time and time again, I find myself collecting these frogs, adding them to the chorus of croaks that flood my mind each morning.

The loudest frogs croak the hardest, demanding my attention.
Still, I let them gather, their voices building into an overwhelming symphony of tasks undone.

This morning, I stared at my to-do list, scrolling Twitter, sipping coffee, and silently chanting, “Do it now, do it now, do it now.” Thirty minutes later, I still hadn’t eaten the frog. The frog, in this case, was responding to an overdue message.

Why is it always the small things that feel the hardest?

First Things First: Forgive Your Past Procrastination

If there’s one crucial step to beating procrastination, it’s forgiving yourself. Let the past be the past. The guilt of yesterday’s unfinished tasks doesn’t serve you today. Simply by forgiving your past procrastination, you make it more likely to avoid procrastination in the future.

Take 60 seconds right now to think about a past task you’ve been holding onto guilt about. Acknowledge it, forgive yourself, and let it go. Forgiveness is powerful. It clears the mental clutter, giving you a clean slate to work with. So take a deep breath, let go of the shame, and focus on what you can do now.

What Is “Eat the Frog”?

Mark Twain once said, “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.” The idea is simple: tackle the hardest, most important task first. It sounds great in theory, but in practice? Frogs are slimy, unappealing, and sometimes downright terrifying.

Eating the frog is supposed to free your day from dread, yet somehow, I find myself letting tiny 5-minute tasks haunt my entire schedule. Sound familiar?

Why We Procrastinate

Procrastination is sneaky. It doesn’t announce itself with a trumpet; it whispers sweetly, “You can do it later.” And suddenly, “later” has turned into tomorrow, next week, or the midnight-before-the-deadline panic sprint.

I often find myself hoping for some magical intervention to make my frogs disappear. But after years of waiting, I’ve realized: no one’s coming to clear my plate. Those frogs aren’t going anywhere unless I take action.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Often, it’s because:

Strategies to Beat Procrastination

Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to outsmart my inner procrastinator. Here’s what works for me:

  1. Do It Now
    Repeating this mantra helps push through hesitation. Whenever I catch myself delaying a task, I mutter, “Do it now, do it now, do it now.” It’s not magic, but it’s oddly effective.

  2. Create a Streak
    I’m on a two-day streak of eating frogs. Yesterday and today at 3 PM, I tackled a dreaded task. My goal? Eat one frog a day to clear my herd. Building momentum is surprisingly motivating.

  3. Embrace Imperfection
    Stop waiting for perfect conditions or perfect outcomes. The goal is to make progress, not produce a masterpiece every time. Simply taking a bite out of a big frog is sometimes enough to get yourself onto the next day and the next bite.

Progress Over Perfection

Procrastination is often about fear, but action is the antidote. Even small steps forward can build confidence and momentum.

Writing this article? Definitely procrastinated. But I started. I chipped away at the doubt, ignored the perfectionist voice, and just wrote. That’s what beating procrastination feels like—not glamorous, but deeply satisfying.

What’s Your Frog?

What’s the one task you’ve been avoiding today? Maybe it’s an email, a phone call, or a project that’s been gathering dust. Whatever it is, tackle it now. Eat the frog. It won’t taste great, but the relief afterward will be worth it.

Just Do It Now.

The frog isn’t getting any tastier. Take a deep breath, grab a fork, and dig in.

@HarryGbc https://x.com/HarryGbc

Ps //: Day 4 of writing on article dot app

Today’s markdown tip is:

(- - - ) 3 - in a row no spaces is a line break.