Eat That Frog: Time Management

Successful people know how to manage their time effectively. But what does effective time management really mean? Is it about being busy all the time no matter what your doing?

I read a book called Eat That Frog last summer. It was suggested from a family friend who has accomplished much considering his young age (founded three successful manufacturing companies and is now a trader in his mid-20s) and he found the book especially useful. 

The essential message of the book is that you need to eat a frog every day. The frog is 3 to 4 important tasks that need to be done before the day is over. The author suggests doing them earlier in the day.

The reason for this is that you can spend the rest of your night watching Entourage or eating food without feeling guilty or stressing about doing work. It makes you more effective.

This means making a list every day and following through with it. Today, I decided I would spend an hour biking, finish my book, upload and organize my pictures from my camera, and blog. I’m on my last task and it’s 9pm, which means I get 2-3 hours to do things that I consider less important but enjoyable.

So is time management about being busy all the time? No, it is about prioritizing what is important every day and doing those tasks well and quickly.

So, when your back in school in September, try doing all your homework right after classes, this will give you the entire night to hang out with your house mates or get involved in an extra-curricular activity your passionate about.