Eat That Frog!
Brian Tracy
Berrett-Koehler Publishers; $14.95

An oldie but goodie, Eat That Frog! uses the metaphor of tackling your hardest item on your to-do list, aka the frog, first thing in the day. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy outlines 21 suggestions to stop procrastinating and get more done. Some of the ideas include setting the table, i.e., being clear on what you want to accomplish; taking it one oil barrel at a time, i.e., one step at a time; and getting out of the technology time sinks. Each chapter concludes with action steps to Eat That Frog! While many of the ideas are not new, it is a good reminder about what we can do to be responsible for our own results.

No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline
Brian Tracy
Vanguard Press; $17.99

Brian Tracy says that what separates successful people from less successful people is self-discipline. In this book he looks at self-discipline in three distinct areas: personal success; business, sales and finance; and the “good life.” To be able to grow as a person and achieve happiness, which is really our end goal, requires self-discipline. Not easy to achieve in all areas. Some of the material wasn’t new to me, though it served as a good reinforcement. Because each of the 21 chapters (seven in each of the three areas) includes action exercises, I think it would be useful to do one each day for three weeks to build on the discipline you are practicing. Some readers may have problems with the sales focus in part of the book. I also wish the book included a list of references.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer or go to Amazon to learn more about the book.