Tag: Proverbs 14:23

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Eating the Frog

“Eat that frog!” is a phrase made popular by author Brian Tracy.

The basic idea is that if you have to do something difficult, you might as well do it right away in the morning so the worst part of your day is behind you. (Hopefully none of us have to do anything worse than eating a live frog.) The original quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, but he actually didn’t say it.

Regardless of where the idea began, it can be helpful in beating procrastination.

I finally ate a frog over the last couple of days.

It had been hopping around in my brain for the last week and a half, making quite an annoying racket whenever I tried to relax.

“Ribbit. Ribbit. What about that editing project you’re supposed to be working on?”

I would sigh and get all tense, but I kept right on pushing my frog aside.

This project was tricky. I was supposed to be helping another editor clean up a bunch of pages of complicated footnotes. Every time I looked at it, I wondered if I could do it and do it well. So I put it off another day. (It didn’t help that I got COVID for a week or so in there.)

I finally decided to “eat that frog” and I got started. I immediately felt some relief from the tension that had been building up. I finished today and turned it in. It ended up taking about six hours in total.

I found myself wishing with all my heart that I would have started a couple of weeks ago instead of letting it go. Oh well, too late now. I just have to remember how I’m feeling for future projects.

I wonder how many other frogs I have jumping around in my life? They pop up once in a while.

I see paperwork for something in a pile on my desk and I sigh and push it aside. Ribbit!

I remember a writing project that has a deadline and I find something else to do until the day before it’s due. Ribbit!

I see someone’s post come up on social media and think about writing to them, but I don’t do it right away. Other things seem more important so I don’t get it done. Ribbit!

All of those frogs add stress and guilt to our lives. The paperwork turns into late fees and hassles. The writing projects don’t get submitted and opportunities are missed. The unwritten letters turn to regret when it’s too late someday.

If you’ve been procrastinating (like me!), it’s time to eat the frog!

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23 NIV)

Do you find yourself procrastinating in any area of your life? How can focusing on God help you “eat the frog” and get things done?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Little Victories

I love Wheel of Fortune.

I can solve most of the puzzles pretty quickly.

I yell at the screen when someone wastes money buying a vowel.

When Gary’s around, I say, “I should be on that show!” He always agrees.

Trouble is, I’ve been saying that for years. And I never took the time to fill out an application online and make a little audition video.

I’m sure it was fear (it usually is). What if I actually go on the show and make a fool of myself? What if I get nervous and can’t solve a single puzzle? What if I say “and” when it’s a crossword puzzle?

So I didn’t apply. That was safer. That was more comfortable. Until it wasn’t.

Lately it started to bother me that I hadn’t applied. After I watched every show, I felt a strange sensation inside. What if they stop asking for contestants? What if Pat and Vanna decide to retire? What if I never even try?

I finally decided I’d waited long enough. I didn’t want to have any regrets about not doing my part to try to get on the show. So last Sunday I had Gary record me doing my little one minute audition and I filled out the online application. (See the video here or down below.)

It’s a little victory!

In this uncertain time, it may seem silly to try out for Wheel of Fortune, but maybe there’s something you’ve been putting off for a long, long time.

Instead of binging on Netflix and scrolling your Facebook feed, maybe you can do something to get a little closer to one of your dreams.

You want to write a book? Take a blank sheet of paper and brainstorm all the ideas you can about your topic.

You dream of visiting a foreign country? Well, that one may have to wait a while, but for now you could take a half hour and research the country’s most popular attractions.

You want to lose some weight? Write down what you’re going to do for exercise every day this week.

You want to get more organized? Set a timer for fifteen minutes and clean out one drawer.

When you get those things done, you can celebrate your little victories. And lots of little victories will eventually lead to some giant wins.

At least that’s what I’m hoping for when I get to the Bonus Round.

“Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.” (Proverbs 14:23 The Message)

Do you feel defeated right now? How can focusing on God help you to celebrate some little victories and get closer to accomplishing your goals?

What do you think? Do I have a shot?
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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Doing the Work

This is probably going to feel like a rerun for most of you. Taking action seems to be a frequent theme for these Focus Friday posts. I know I need constant reminders, maybe you do, too.

My mind is on “doing the work” because I attended a writers conference last weekend and pitched my book idea to agent Cynthia Ruchti. (The book is about my experience with depression and how we can all stay healthy emotionally.) She expressed an interest in seeing my book proposal when I get it finished. Exciting, right? You would think I would have rushed home, opened my computer, and finished that proposal immediately.

But no, that’s not how I roll.

I did spend one to two hours working on the proposal this week, but that’s the extent of it. There were some other things I had to work on, but I have to admit that I also wasted quite a bit of time doing things that weren’t really necessary.

If we want to get things done, we have to do the work.

If we want to clean and organize our houses, we have to schedule time to clear away the clutter, put things away, and put some elbow grease into making things shine. It won’t get done while we sit on the couch and watch Netflix.

If we want to lose some extra pounds, we need to move a little more and eat a little less. We might need to figure out why we run to food when we aren’t really hungry. We have to do the work or we’ll never see a difference in our waistline.

If we want to write a book, we need to get our bottom in the chair, open a document, and write. The words won’t magically appear just because we think about them once in a while.

If we want to improve a relationship, we need to make some choices about what we’re saying, how we’re acting, and why we love that person. We want it to be easy, but relationships take work.

Whatever you want to do in life, you might as well admit that it’s going to take work. As Proverbs 14: 23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” This could refer to financial profit and poverty, but I think it could also be talking about the profit of good results in our lives (a clean house, a healthier body, a book, a better relationship) as opposed to the lack of results (a pigsty, extra pounds, no book, a poor relationship).

As soon as I get this post done, I’m going to go schedule in some writing time for this weekend. That proposal is not going to get done unless I make sure I’m doing the work.

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. ” (Psalm 90:17 NIV)

Do you have something that’s not getting done because you just aren’t doing the work? How can focusing on God help you to take steps to do it instead of just thinking about it?