Here’s the thing with advice in a neurodivergent galaxy; what works for one person, won’t necessarily work for another. We could end things there then. Since we’re all individuals, we must all find our own way to productivity bliss!
Except, that’s not true either, thank goodness, else the decade or more of my life spent gaining a handle on productivity in a neurodivergent world will have all been in vain. No, fortunately some principles do hold true for the vast majority, one of which, ironically, is that very idea; our finest productivity will involve adapting techniques and tools, or inventing new tools that work with our own unique brain wiring. The thought-provoking productivity people at Think Productive, who I’ve had the joy of spending a little time with of late, describe this as ‘unorthodoxy’, and in a neurodiverse world, it’s a principle we should all be leaning into, not least because it’s a whole lot more fun to ‘do it your own way!’
Our finest productivity will involve adapting techniques and tools, or inventing new tools that work with our own unique brain wiring.
So, I want to talk about ‘eating the frog’, not because it is one of these golden principles that works for most, but sadly because I fear that it’s possibly quite the opposite for a good chunk of us. For most neurodivergent minds, as well as some typical brain wirings challenged with either low energy or anxiety, I’m afraid ‘eating the frog’ simply doesn’t work, or worse, induces the very antithesis of productivity.
The concept of eating the frog - picking the one most important task for the day and completing it first - was popularised by Canadian Brian Tracy, but that wasn’t its genesis. Some also connect it to a Mark Twain poem;
“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.”
But it didn’t begin life here either.
Unsurprisingly, historians trace the first mention of the ‘eat the frog’ concept back to the French, which raises an interesting shift in perspective that somewhat suits my narrative; you can be certain that the French spin on this concept would have involved much delight and the smacking of lips in the eating of frogs!
Now, I don’t want to rally against the concept as simply wrong - that would never aid my quest to celebrate our differences, working together towards a world of greater impact and meaning. No, what I’m keen to do here is to see what we can take from the principal in a world of differently wired brains; some pointers that hopefully offer many of us a new and kinder way forward.
Firstly, the principal encourages us to think about how to start the day. This surely is a worthwhile endeavour for everyone as how we start the day often shapes the remaining hours. A bit like eating breakfast as a king, lunch as a prince and dinner as a pauper. Interestingly, this also doesn’t work for everyone. (Though it does for me, and exchanging the bacon for slabs of belly pork, as I experienced only this weekend at an exceptional restaurant in Bournemouth worthy of mention, called ‘The Place’, takes it to another level. Sorry. Food can be so very distracting. I should have known this article would be a struggle.)
For neurodivergent minds, getting started can often prove challenging. For ADDers specifically, energy management is of central concern. With brains wired for interest, rather than importance, the very idea of starting with the most ‘important’ thing is, I’m afraid, a bit of a non-starter. Equally, decision making first thing, focused around choosing what’s most important is, for an ADDer, more likely to generate overwhelm, invariably then leading to avoidance, and with it, shame and guilt. Those same emotions for a brain wired with a negativity bias on overdrive, can send one spiralling in completely the wrong direction.
With brains wired for interest, rather than importance, the very idea of starting with the most ‘important’ thing is, I’m afraid, a bit of a non-starter.
Arguably then, one could preempt the decision, making it the day before as part of a daily checklist process. But I’ve tried this, and I know plenty of other ADDers that have too. When you can’t predict your energy levels the next morning, it’s best not to place a monster at the start of it, having planned the day before only to then ruminate over it all night, losing sleep.
Instead, how about deliberately picking (and ideally, planning the day before) the item that, with kindness and a slightly cheeky grin, kicks off a creative energy roll that we can build on. One that will then go on to help us make better decisions and to prioritise more in alignment with what we want to achieve. That means picking something that is both interesting to us and in alignment with who we want to be and what we want to realise in the world, not because it’s important to others, but because it’s exciting to us personally, filling us with energy and enthusiasm.
Sometimes though, it might seem that none of the tasks that ought to be tackled in a day offer any sense of excitement and interest. Where to start then if we’re to work our way up and cultivate the energy we need to eat frogs with gusto?
This is where a little creativity and ‘scaffolding’ comes in. At first glance, it’s hard to see the fun in some tasks, but with a little unorthodoxy (something ADDers typically have in abundance, given permission), the mundane can become entertaining and energising. So, can you gamify it? Put music to it? Dress it, or you, up? All with a goal of shifting things into a world of positive interest and excitement? There are no rights and wrongs here. Just a series of experiments to play around with, looking for ways we might turn the scary and overwhelming, into intriguing and energising, fuelling us up on the dopamine and norepinephrine that come from both anticipating and doing activities that inspire and excite.
But, what if they’re not really energising beyond the immediate moment? What if the tasks you believe you’re choosing to build up enough energy to comfortably eat the frog are actually just part of your inner voice’s elaborate avoidance strategy. Damn that naughty pickle of a brain!
Well fear not, here’s where it’s worth us taking a moment to pause and reflect (a vital activity that many these days do far too little of, and certainly with little self-kindness). What do past activities that you chose to do first, tell you about you? What happens to your energy after you do tasks you believed would be energising? Do you find yourself looking for more fun and interesting, energising activities, and never getting to the thing that would really bring you a few steps closer to realising the change you want to see in the world. If so, you might want to take another look at your frogs. Perhaps they need a little french dressing. Can they be broken down? Can you double down on their ‘why’? Or the fun aspect within them? Or your definition of success? Could they be more specific? Or do you simply need to work on forming a habit around working up to and completing the challenging task. And what might that journey look like? What or who do you need around you to start off on that journey? Whether you enlist a new strategy, a body double, or a coach, personal reflection is, I’m afraid, a necessity. What do you notice about the language you're using about yourself as you reflect on this? If you can reflect without attachment or judgement, there’s a treasure trove of valuable insights about the stories you tell yourself in terms of your own capacity, some that can propel you forward towards your dreams, and some that are holding you back.
And with all this reflection have I just created new work, further distracting you from getting things done? Well, not if you see the journey itself as inherently valuable. To eat the frog, or to not eat the frog, and how to eat the frog; the process of asking these questions, with kindness can only aid us in better understand how our unique brains work, and in so doing, empower us to realise the change we desire, in a way that works for us. Personally, I love frogs legs, with vast amounts of garlic, butter and parsley and a freshly baked french baguette, along with a nice glass of Loire Valley Muscadet. Contentious, I know. I’m sure most would plonk for a nice glass of chablis, and that works of course, but for me…..damn!
Happy dining! x
Quick digestive
How we start the day significantly impacts the way our days unfolds, so it’s important! But sometimes, that ‘importance’ itself can leave us overwhelmed. Perhaps what matters most here is our own definition of ‘important!’
Wise words
“Just one small positive thought in the morning
can change your whole day.”
The Dalai Lama
Want to work together to find your unique way of eating the frog? Let's talk!
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