This morning I “ate the frog”. I followed the advice of Tsh Oxenreider in her ebook One Bite at a Time, and I started my day by doing the ONE thing that was really bugging me and that I had been avoiding. Tsh calls that “eating the frog.”
My big old frog was sending the rest of our holiday cards! Yep. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.
I had gotten off to such a good start, too — getting about 60% of them in the mail in a timely fashion. Then the rest were put in a basket until we were on “the other side” of the holiday season. And then I got really busy and forgot. And then I felt bad, so I avoided them. Then they became my frog!
I do love our 2012 card, though, and I couldn’t stand to just abandon ship. They feature my favorite candid of the year — Hudson and Ella on their first day of school. On the back; Mr. BOP and me sporting our Halloween hippie costumes {another favorite — but also, the only decent picture I could find of the two of us!}. The hippie look totally works for him, right?
I felt I had to get it done, despite their lateness because A) they are already paid for and that’s just silly, and B) I don’t want beloved friends and relatives to feel bad because they noticed that so-and-so had a card on their fridge and they didn’t get one this year! I think it’s fine not to send cards at all, but 60% done wasn’t going to cut it.
So, I went with this approach {this is the back}:
And this is the front. Oh, how I LOVE this picture! I know some of you might be tired of seeing it {my personal Facebook timeline pic too}, but for me it captures the big news in our lives this year — the simultaneous transition to high school and middle school, which was a really big deal for us. Oh my gosh; they just look so big.
So, after four episodes of New Girl, it’s done! And I feel so much better!
The takeaway?
1. Eat the Frog. Whatever IT is — and even if it’s a little bit embarrassing. Start your day by getting it off the list, and you’ll feel so much better. One frog a day will do wonders.
2. We all have areas where we’ve fallen behind. If you have a big old frog in your house, you’re not alone! We’re all doing our best. But we should also consider… can we just forget about our frog? Does it really matter? Consider giving yourself permission to let it go — and if you can’t do that, then EAT it. Pronto!
Anyone else have a big old frog hopping around their house? What is it? And will you set it free? Or eat it? Do tell!
A Merry Valentine’s Day to All,
xo, BOP
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- Happy New Year! Now What?
- A Charlie Brown Moment
- Happy New Year! And Truth Be Told…
- Valentine’s Day Picks: Etsy and A Little Bit Beyond
I’ve heard that phrase before, but thanks for the reminder. Eat the frog first, then everything else is easy.
Another one is eating an elephant – just one bite at a time.
Hi Jennifer!
Thanks for commenting. I wonder what the origin is of both of those expressions…?
If you find out, I’d love to know!
Beth
Hi Beth; I HAVE THE SAME FROG!!! Keep looking at that Christmas card box thinking; should I or shouldn’t I? Afraid to open it and look at my notes and/or reminders of cards that still need to be sent. I’m going to eat that frog for sure now…better late than never.
My other FROG that is haunting me: my closet. It has a life of its own; new stuff, old stuff, in between-sizes stuff; too much stuff! I’ve been thinking about reorganizing it since August of 2012…and darn it, I’m going to have to eat it before it eats me!
Thanks for the inspiration….
Hi Helen!
Oh, we have frog karma! My closet is absolutely my biggest and most overwhelming task on the list!
Maybe we need a closet challenge….!
Thanks for your note!