Is 'eat the frog' overrated?

Quick answer

The claim, in a post that got a lot of agreement: stop eating frogs and start with easy wins. Facing the hardest task first just leads to staring at it. Fans of the frog say momentum is a trap that eats the morning.

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Where the claim is right

A huge, vague task first thing can freeze you.
Your hardest task isn't always your most important one.
One quick win can get you moving.

Where the frog wins

Easy wins can fill a whole morning.
Your sharpest hours go to the hardest work.
Getting it done early clears the dread.

Pick your version

Make the frog smaller: name the first step.
Allow one 10 minute warm-up task, then the frog.
Pick the most important task. It may differ from the hardest.
See do to-do lists work.

FAQ: questions people ask

Does eat the frog work?

For many people. Others start better with a short warm-up task first.

What does eat the frog mean?

Doing your most important, hardest task first in the day.

What if I can't start my hardest task?

Shrink it to a first step you can do in 10 minutes.