When to Eat a Frog: Finding the Productivity Hack that Works Best for You

Task prioritisation can be a challenging aspect of planning out your work day. Everything might seem to be equally important, or multiple deadlines can occur at around the same time. In such situations, how do you decide where to start? There is a tendency to view all hours of the day as being equal when it comes to time management. But as we will see, this is not necessarily the case. Although it may seem that tasks are spaced out evenly in your day planner or calendar, the day somehow flies by before you get everything done or you are completely spent by sticking to the schedule you set for yourself. 

Here, I will walk you through different approaches to ordering your to-do list so that you can maximise your efficiency and be more likely to complete the tasks that matter most.  

Eat the frog first 

“If the first thing that you do when you wake up in the morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing that’s going to happen to you all day long.” – Mark Twain 

While this famous American writer and humorist was probably not referring to productivity at work, his words have gained notoriety in media on this topic. The quote was popularised by the motivational speaker and business strategy author Brian Tracy. In 2002, he published the best-selling “Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.” The idea behind this metaphor is: 

• It is most effective to take care of your largest, least appealing task first.  

• If you don’t, you will waste time avoiding this task by busying yourself with easier but less important tasks.  

• Your day will go much more smoothly once your worst task is out of the way. 

While this might make sense “on paper,” there are other task management methods that may work better for you. 

Don’t eat the frog first 

In response to the strategy of eating the frog first, some writers have opined that this is not the optimal way to tackle your to-do list. This may be particularly true for people whose brains and bodies function differently to most people’s – whether it’s due to: 

• a condition that can affect motivation and response to rewards, such as ADHD 

• having a circadian rhythm that results in low energy during the morning  

• experiencing “brain fog” or drowsiness due to a chronic illness 

In the case of ADHD, self-advocate Jesse J. Anderson has advised ADHDers to “eat the ice cream” first. Most people’s brains prioritize tasks based on how challenging they are and how impactful their outcomes will be. ADHDers, on the other hand, are better off managing their energy. Energy can be increased by engaging in interesting tasks, regardless of their importance. The key to this approach is that once you start your work with a preferred task, you will have more energy to work on more difficult ones.  

A related idea underpins the “First Pancake Productivity Technique” by neurodivergent and chronically ill content marketer Britany Berger. The name of the technique is inspired by the phenomenon of the first pancake in a batch being the worst one. Similarly, if mornings are not the optimal part of your day, the first task that you complete may not be your best work. However, getting that task done generates momentum that will help you get other, more energy-intensive work done.  

Both methods emphasize starting with tasks that have a lower barrier to entry than ones that are more important but more challenging. Working with your energy levels rather than forcing yourself to target your major to-dos first can be a better way to maximise your physical and mental resources. 

Use heat mapping to plan the order of your tasks 

Energy levels are also central to productivity expert Charlie Gilkey’s heat mapping approach to getting things done. Gilkey argues that: 

• Each hour of the day does not have equal productivity potential.  

• Tracking the times of day at which you are most efficient will reveal your natural energy rhythm, also known as a chronotype. 

• Scheduling your most important work for when your energy is at its peak allows you to maximize your productivity potential. 

Without considering our natural energy variations, we risk spending far more time on our work than necessary. This is because when we are less focused and motivated, it is much harder to produce good-quality work at the same rate as when we are at our best. When we plan our day with our body’s natural rhythm in mind, we can make the most of our waking hours. There is no “wrong” time of day to do your most important work if that’s when you function optimally.  

One size doesn't fit all. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. It's all about trying things out – you might be surprised by what you find! So, which approach do you think works best for you? Will you try heat mapping, or do you already know when you do your best work?