Eat that Frog!

Every morning about 15 minutes before I take the kids to school, we sit down and read a few short scriptures together and then talk about the lesson that the scriptures are teaching.  Today we were reading in 1 Nephi 3 of the Book of Mormon, where Laman and Lemuel are basically being big jerks to Nephi, and an angel tells them that they will be successful, but they still doubt and question.

I discussed with the kids the concept by Brian Tracy called "Eat that Frog".  I'm reading his book at the same time that I am reading Chalene Johnson's PUSH because I am really trying to master the art of accomplishing my goals this year.  I'm really good at setting goals - not so great at actually executing the strategies needed to achieve them.  

We have had a couple of yucky mornings with our almost six year old daughter because the new rule we have established is that bedrooms need to be cleaned if screen time (wii, DS, TV) is to be had on a daily basis.  When she actually turns six it will get a lot better, right?  A mom can dream.  Anyway, my 8 year old son is a little more likely to be obedient in this area, so this morning we directed the discussion toward him.  There were five kids there - three are age 8 and two are age 5.  The 8 year olds listened.  The 5 year olds yawned.  

For the past two days as I write my endless "to do" lists in hopes that by writing it down I actually accomplish them, I put the hardest things first.  The things that I least want to do.  The things that if I could avoid them altogether I would live my life out in a happy state.  Organizing paperwork is one of those things.  Shredding paperwork is another.  I would have the kids do it, except I actually go through it as I shred it and have caught some things that I would have regretted shredding.  As my pile grows larger in spite of my incessant shredding, I keep muttering the words "Eat that Frog".  

This morning what I taught the kids was this:  if, like Laman and Lemuel, they just sit and complain, then they are wasting time that they could use to get things done and accomplished.  I taught them the phrase "Eat that Frog", which they, of course, laughed at.  However, as we discussed the concept I could see that they were thinking.  And getting kids thinking about making good choices is always a good thing.  

Now, I need to quit procrastinating and go Eat that Frog!

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