My year started with a bang on the 2nd of January, at my desk, eating a frog. Figuratively.
I used this expression with a few friends and they didn't know it. For me, it is about doing tasks you don't really want to do but that you need to do. They're often tasks that take a long time to get around to doing and could take a lot of focus and time to complete. When they're done, you feel great, but eating and swallowing them takes effort and energy.
I looked up the origin of the expression, which comes from Mark Twain; I've found two quotes online.
The principle of 'Eat the Frog' has been adopted by loads of life and business coaches to help their clients stop procrastinating. The method aims to help you to prioritise tasks so that you can be more productive. The idea is that you identify one challenging task (the frog) and complete the task first thing in the morning (eating it) and then move on to everything else that needs your attention.
This year, I've been eating frogs. Lots of them. Never mind mornings, I'm reveling in frog-eating days. I'm getting lots done. I don't like to eat frogs, but there is a reward in accomplishing tasks.
Forget Year of the Rabbit; 2023 is my Year of the Frog.
But I'll go with the Rabbit too.
According to the internet, this is what the Year of the Rabbit represents:
2023 is a year of the Water Rabbit, starting from 22 January 2023 (Chinese New Year), and ending on 9 February 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve). The sign of Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope.