1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: Today's tip is the first in a five part series 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: on how to take control of your time in the 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: new year. This week, I'll be talking about five strategies 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: that I know will help you feel less busy and 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: get more done because they've definitely helped me. The first 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: strategy is to figure out where the time really goes. 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: When people tell me they'd like to spend their time better, 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: they often ask what's the first thing they should do, 11 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: and I say, it's to figure out where the time 12 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: is going now, Because if you don't know where the 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: time is going now, how do you know if you're 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: changing the right thing. Maybe something you thought was a 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: problem really isn't. Maybe something you've never even considered is 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: taking far more time than you imagined. Like any business decision, 17 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: it's wisest to work from good data, and the best 18 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: way to get that data is to track your time. 19 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: Ideally for a week. This first full week after the 20 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: holidays is an excellent time to start. I'm tracking my 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: time this week as our many listeners, and I invite 22 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: you to enjoin us. There are lots of tools you 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: can use. You can visit my website Laura Vanderkam dot 24 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: com and sign up to be sent a time tracking 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: spreadsheet Excel or PDF versions. You can make your own 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: spreadsheet too, with the days of the week across the 27 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,199 Speaker 1: top and half hour blocks down the left hand side. 28 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: Mine runs from five a m. To four thirty a m. 29 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: Because I find that's what I think of as a day, 30 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: but if you're an early riser or a late riser, 31 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: feel free to adjust that as you see fit. There 32 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: are dozens of time tracking apps on the market you 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: can use, or you can just jot down stuff in 34 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: a notebook. The tool itself doesn't matter. What matters is 35 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: that you do it. And I know time tracking can 36 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: be a pain, but I promise you, as someone who 37 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: has found it worthwhile to track my time for close 38 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: to five years now, it is worth it. Knowing where 39 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: the time goes has helped me spend more time on 40 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: what I care about while ditching things that I don't. 41 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: If you're listening to this on a Monday, awesome, but 42 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: if not, feel free to start on any day as 43 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: long as you keep going for the next sixty eight hours. 44 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: Make sure you include the weekend too. This is real time, 45 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: and knowing where this time goes helps you get a 46 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: holistic picture of your life. Don't just log work hours. 47 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: There's more to you than your job, and accounting for 48 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: your time outside of work can be the difference between 49 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 1: a life that feels like it's just work and one 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: that's more balanced like anything. Time tracking might feel awkward 51 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: at first. You might have trouble remembering what you did. 52 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: I like to check in three to four times a 53 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: day and write down what I've done since the last 54 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: check in. It might help to set an alarm until 55 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: you get into the habit and you don't need to 56 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: write down everything. I have not recorded every bathroom break 57 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: for the last five years. It's better to have a 58 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: general sense than to account for every minute. Also, if 59 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,279 Speaker 1: you forget and loose track of a few hours, it's okay. 60 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: Just put in what you do remember and pick back 61 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: up where you can. Tracking one d sixty one sixty 62 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: eight hours is going to be more helpful than stopping 63 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: one day in, and some people find it helpful to 64 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: track with a friend. Or if you track for a 65 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: week and want to send me your log, I'd love 66 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: to see it. You can reach me at Before Breakfast 67 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: podcast at i hurt media dot com. But after you've 68 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: done a week, look at the log and see what 69 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: you think. What did you like? Let's celebrate that. What 70 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: didn't you like? Well, don't beat yourself up about it. 71 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: We all waste time, all of us. I know I 72 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: waste tons of time. My time log showed me that. 73 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: But the good news about recognizing this is that I 74 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: no longer tell myself a story that I am so 75 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: busy and have no time for fun. I mean, clearly 76 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: I do. I just need to think about how I 77 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: want to use this time and what kind of leisure 78 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: I would enjoy most. If you like numbers, you might 79 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: try adding up the major categories work, sleep, time in 80 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: the car, housework, Errand's family time, exercise, television, social media, volunteering. Reading. 81 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: What I've heard is you do and you might decide 82 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: that this wasn't a typical week, which is fine. But 83 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: I've learned over the years that there are no typical weeks. 84 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: Are deeming a day or week typical is really a 85 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: value judgment, not necessarily a statement about real life. As 86 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: an example, I used to think I worked about fifty 87 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: hours a week because well, my time log showed that. 88 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: But some of my time log us I only viewed 89 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: my uninterrupted weeks as typical. If I encountered a snow day, 90 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: a sick day, a holiday, a half day because of 91 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: an emergency, dentist visit, a broken furnace, or anything like that, 92 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: well I called those weeks atypical. Except in my life, 93 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: it turns out over the long haul that something will 94 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: happen more often than not. Best to know that so 95 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: we can make plans. Anyway, if you'd like to spend 96 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: your time better in the new year, please do try 97 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: tracking your time for the next seven days and then 98 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: let me know what you find. That email address again 99 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: is Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com. And 100 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: in the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 101 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 102 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 103 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 104 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 105 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then Breakfast p o D. 106 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 107 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: Podcast at I heeart media dot com that Before breakfast 108 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 109 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 110 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 111 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 112 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.