Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (2001)

Eat the Frog, the technique from Brian Tracy's book Start with the biggest, hardest and most important task, before anything easier has a chance to fill the time. Tracy's "frog" is that task, and the method is simply refusing to warm up with email, tidying notes or reformatting flashcards. It is a strong rule for evening study because the first stretch after you sit down is often when your head is clearest, and spending it on the essay plan or the problem set protects the work that actually moves you forward. Save the easy, mechanical jobs for the last half hour, when you are fading. If the frog feels too big to start, pair this with the Five-Minute Rule.