Eat your frog! (but in the form of delicious chocolate)

Everyone knows them. Tasks you dread like the plague. That report that has to be finished, that difficult conversation that has to be had, or that inbox screaming out for a big clean-up. You know it has to be done, and yet … you keep pushing that task ahead of you. First you have another couple of cups of coffee. First you read the paper for a moment. And before you know it the day is over.

Start your day with the task you dislike most

’Eat that frog!’ is a well-known metaphor from the Canadian-American speaker and motivational coach Brian Tracy. In his book of the same name he gives clear advice: start your day with the task you dislike most. Because once you have swallowed that unpleasant ’frog’, the rest of the day can only be better. But why is that so difficult? Why do we often eat that frog only when there is really no other option? Or not eat it at all?

Procrastination is not a matter of laziness or lack of discipline

At MyDrives we ask an even more personal question: why do you procrastinate? To be clear: procrastination is not a matter of laziness or lack of discipline. In short, what it comes down to is this: what gives one person energy causes resistance in another. And that is precisely where the seven MyDrives colours come in.

Which colour is behind your procrastination?

Those seven colours stand for the seven fundamental human drivers. Each of these drivers can lead to procrastination in its own way. Not because you do not want to, but because your system blocks internally for a moment. Below you can see how procrastination can express itself in each colour.

Purple procrastinates when something does not feel familiar or when traditions are let go. ’Just change things? That does not feel right.’

Red procrastinates when something takes too long or when no immediate action is possible. ’This is taking too long for me, I am going to do something else.’

Blue procrastinates when the rules or frameworks are not clear. ’I do not know whether this is correct or allowed.’

Orange procrastinates when there is no clear goal or result. ’What does this actually yield for me?’

Green procrastinates when something is confronting or threatens to disturb the harmony. ’I might unintentionally offend someone.’

Yellow procrastinates because there are still too many questions to arrive at a perfect solution. ’I want to understand it completely before I start.’

Turquoise procrastinates when something does not feel meaningful or impactful enough. ’Does all this actually have any point?’

From frog to chocolate, and to insight

In our workshops we introduce participants to their own frog in the form of chocolate. Not just any chocolate, but a delicious, bite-sized MyDrives frog bar. Each participant chooses the bar in the frog colour that matches their procrastination. We then use ’your’ coloured frog as a starting point for a conversation: why do you procrastinate? What is holding you back? And more importantly: what do you need in order to get moving? Once you have insight into your dominant colour or colours, you understand not only that you procrastinate, but above all why you do it, and how you can break the pattern.

Respond in the comments

Which colour suits you best? And which form of procrastination goes with it? Let us know in the comments. Among the most inspiring responses we will raffle off a few MyDrives frog bars.