Communities
On The Road: MHIA and Queensland Land Lease Villages
2nd October 2024
We’re sure we can all agree that the satisfaction that comes with crossing off tasks from our to-do list is hard to beat, especially those that have lingered for weeks. Yet, addressing crucial tasks promptly can be a challenge, often due to a tendency to prioritize simpler, less impactful tasks. If you're a home and contents insurance holder in a land lease park, optimizing your routine around the "Eat the Frog" method could be a game-changer in tackling those big tasks on your to-do list.
Just so you know, we don’t want you to actually eat any frogs, many of which in our communities can be endangered or poisonous. In this context, the "frog" symbolizes the most vital and impactful tasks related to your home and contents cover—especially crucial during fire and storm seasons. Let's explore what "Eat the Frog" means for MHIA customers, how to apply it, and the tools that can support you in mastering your to-do list.
"Eat the Frog" is a productivity technique coined by Brian Tracy, outlined in his book, "Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time". For MHIA customers, the "frog" represents the most crucial tasks requiring attention for your home insurance, but which might be a bit unpalatable to complete. Tracy suggests that by addressing this task first thing every morning, you can enhance productivity, leading to overall better wellbeing.
While Tracy's book outlines 21 principles for productivity, let's simplify the approach into three actionable steps tailored for MHIA customers—making it easier for you when considering, assessing, and preparing for your home insurance.
Get strategic about your cover, as this can save you money and motivate you to choose better cover options. Grab a piece of paper, type into your tablet or open the notes on your iPhone and clearly articulate your insurance needs. Check these against your PDS and if they are not being met consider switching insurers.
Create a detailed list using organizational apps or simple spreadsheets to catalogue your contents, saving time and stress in case of a future claim. While this may seem like a big job upfront, break it down by room and the appliances within it. Tackle the kitchen one morning, living room the next and so on until all items are catalogued. Pro-tip: make sure to record the make, model, serial number and take a photo as evidence.
Identify high-impact areas that need attention around your home and with your contents. This could mean clearing gutters or clearing your garden, painting and maintaining your home and doing any cleaning required to keep it safe.
Assess the potential needs and requirements of your insurance, ensuring alignment with your evolving needs. Will your cover be appropriate in the future? Is it enough now? If you are insured with MHIA always feel like you can call and speak with our team to assess and update your home and contents cover.
Embrace 'intentional procrastination' on non-critical tasks, allowing dedicated time for aspects of your home and contents cover that truly matter.
Categorize your home upkeep tasks using the ABCDE method, regularly evaluating and adjusting priorities to focus on the most crucial elements of your home and contents cover. What’s ABCDE? Well, it’s a labelling system for your tasks and it works like this:
A- things you must do, high priority
B- items you should do, secondary priority
C- things that would be nice-to-do
D- things to delegate to a tradie that you can’t or don’t want to do
E- items to eliminate entirely, like unwanted goods
Adopting the "Eat the Frog" method is a gradual process, especially when integrating new practices into daily routines. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to become an expert "frog eater" straight away. Choose one or two principles to focus on initially, gradually building from there. Just making little changes each day and being more strategic with your insurance can make a huge difference should you ever need to make a claim.