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.” And thus was born the advice of every 5 a.m. productivity guru, eat a frog first thing in the morning and everything for the rest of the day will seem just a bit more pleasant. Great advice.
A frog is that task you know you have to do but it also makes you a bit queasy to think about. Maybe it’s a particularly difficult phone call or bookkeeping, paying bills, social media. It doesn’t matter what it is you don’t want to do it but you must. Check that off your list early in the day and that weight will be off your back for the rest of the day.
More than that you have a sense of accomplishment. You ate the frog; the rest of your list is shaking in its boots. There can be no doubt a well-eaten frog can set you up for a great day. But let’s take it further. Not every gross, nauseating, overwhelming thing can be eaten in the matter of a morning and checked off your to-do list.
Some tasks are really more like projects. They are BIG. They follow you around whether or not you know you have, them adding weight to your day. For some of us they are the elephant in the room; you know they are bugging you but you’re not yet ready to do them.
Maybe it’s a workspace you know you need to overhaul.
Maybe it’s switching from one system to another.
Maybe it’s catching up on bookkeeping, or doing your taxes, or long-term planning.
Whatever it is you carry it around on your shoulders. Life would be easier if you just got it out of the way. Your newly set up office/system/books/plan will make day to day business just a bit easier. And yet it looms above you... not getting done. When we have a big task like this hanging over our heads it becomes larger than life an unclimbable mountain.
This is your Everest.
And I want you to eat it.
Now I’m not going to tell you to eat it first thing tomorrow morning. Eating Everest is something you prepare for. But most Everests can be eaten in a day..
There is, of course, the argument for chipping away at the old block and for some people there is merit but I am here to tell you that a little bit at a time is no match for the satisfaction, productivity, and motivation inspired by the one day sprint. For the vast majority of people, a little bit at a time WON’T WORK. You tell yourself that pacing yourself will make it less difficult but the reality is that it makes it feel interminable. As the weeks of baby steps pass you feel more and more like you are getting nowhere. For Everests that involve planning, branding, or strategy stretching it out will also make the final product disjointed.
Eat your Everest in one day. It will feel amazing.
Which brings us to…
How to Eat Your Everest
1. Acknowledge your Everest. Here is how you identify it.
a. It needs to be done to move your business forward
b. It will require an investment of initial time and then little or no time to maintain from there
c. Having it figured out/finished will increase your productivity, sales, or happiness
d. It overwhelms you
2. Block Out the Time. I recommend you give yourself a whole day. Some things need two days. If you’ve got more than a three-day Everest, break it up into two-day chunks. An Everest is also something you want to get to sooner rather than later. Schedule your time to eat it in the next month or two don’t push it off into the distance.
3. Grab another person. Friend, coworker, coach, partner, employee, whatever. They can either operate as an extra mind and set of hands on-site helping you tackle it OR they can just agree to check in from time to time day of and give you a pep talk or help you troubleshoot. Having that support will make or break it.
4. Create a plan of attack. Professional eaters will tell you that the key to eating a lot in record time is to know how to approach eating a food (example champion cake eaters- yes that is a real job- dip the cake in water to help it break apart faster). Here are some examples:
a. If you are Organizing your office maybe you follow the Konmari method and declutter one type of object at a time
b. If you are switching over your system you might start by backing up your old one, make a list of your needs, then research new options, decide on the new one after weighing pros and cons, and then make the transfer.
c. If you are catching up on or getting ahead of a repetitive task like bookkeeping or social media batching, then decide what parts you will do in what order. And set out time to plan how to do it in smaller chunks later.
d. If you are planning or strategizing, create a structure for that plan. Search for the industry standard for that area (social media, strategic planning, income planning) There are plenty of templates online to get you pointed in the right direction. Or work with a coach or business partner to tackle planning together. Having an experienced person to work through it will is particularly key if your Everest is planning relate.
5. Ready. Set. Go. Get a good night’s sleep the night before and figure out your lunch plans beforehand. Nothing kills a powerhouse day like getting bogged down by being tired or hungry. Maybe treat yourself a bit for lunch as well. Day-of get right into it. You have set yourself up to get it done now all that’s left is doing it!
Once you’ve eaten your Everest you will feel lighter, sharper, and damn proud of yourself. Even if you haven’t managed to eat it all in one day the dent you’ve made in it will inspire you more than any “incremental change” would have. Attacking your Everest with such determination and seeing the difference one day can make will empower you to never live in the shadow of another mountain.
P.S. I created a special product for clients who need help eating their Everest. I call it a Chaos Control Day. You, me, and eight hours of eating your Everest. Together we create a plan of attack and then actually attack. Plus you get two follow-up calls to troubleshoot implementation and make sure that Everest never plies back up!
I only open 4 slots a month for Chaos Control Days so reach out to get all the info. They do book up!