Eating your frog and getting things done

I am sure there are people out there who get things done immediately, who don’t put things off until the next day, and who don’t delay or postpone anything in their life. In other words, they are not procrastinators.

I am not one of those people, nor do I know many people who are not in the same camp. I am a card-carrying procrastinator if we took the time to make cards for ourselves but we never seem to get it done.

Whether it is because I am a journalist by training or it is just ingrained, I cannot work without a deadline. My to-do list is based on a schedule and a date that demands it be done by a day on the calendar.

I am going to make a confession right here and now: I don’t write these columns until the last minute. Yes, there are always ideas percolating around in my head but those thoughts don’t become words on a page until the last possible minute. Yet, the columns get done; just not very long before they are due.

In an attempt to become less of a procrastinator (because “never being a procrastinator” is never going to happen), I frequently refer to one of my favorite books, “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy. It is not a culinary reference manual. Instead, it is an easy read that provides 21 ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time.

The thought behind the title is that there is never enough time in your day to get everything done so you have to prioritize by getting the most important, the toughest, the hardest thing done first.

The old adage is that if the first you do each morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have done the worst thing you’ll likely do all day. The “frog” is the most challenging thing on the to-do list.

Now, everything we need and should get done is not necessarily a “frog” but we should take heed to get things done sooner rather than later.

For example, you keep telling yourself that you are going to clean out and organize your garage so you can actually park a vehicle inside. But the television keeps tempting you. That book on your nightstand is more appealing. Even the dishes seem like a better option.

Perhaps, April 15 or tax day seems like it is lightyears away. Trust me, your account or tax preparer disagrees and would appreciate their clients not walking in with boxes of paperwork the week before the deadline. (Sorry, Nikki Cappel. I’ll try to do better this year.)

Maybe you have been putting off writing a will or planning your estate because you think you will get to it “someday.” Someday will always be tomorrow until you quit procrastinating and eat the “frog” whatever it may be.

But what really got me thinking about procrastinating are some upcoming deadlines at the McCook Community Foundation Fund.

Graduation season is right around the corner which means seniors are preparing for the next phase of their lives, with many of them heading off to college. Scholarships are not just a luxury anymore for those attending college, but almost a necessity. And many scholarship deadlines will happen in the next month, including two at MCFF.

MCFF distributes two scholarships, both with a deadline of March 31. The Bernard and Nelda Haag Scholarship is open to students in five Southwest Nebraska counties with a priority on those with an ag-based focus. The Barbara Fassler-Neumann Nursing Scholarship is open to upcoming high school graduates pursuing study in the medical field or those already in the medical field with plans to return to southwest Nebraska and practice medicine. Information about both scholarships and applications are available on the MCFF website, mccookfoundation.org.

In addition to the scholarship deadlines, MCFF’s 2023 spring grant deadline is April 1. A complete list of grants from the past 20 years is also on the MCFF website, along with the application.

Similar to the adage that you are supposed to make your bed as soon as you get up in the morning because you can say that you’ve accomplished at least one thing with your day, consider eating your “frog” first thing to accomplish the most important thing with your day.