1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: Today's tip is about one way to keep yourself from 4 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 2: over committing. By thinking through each week ahead of time, 5 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: you can see what is already happening or needs to happen, 6 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: and so you won't add on anything new unless there 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: is a really good reason, because most likely there won't 8 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 2: be any space. On Friday, a few weeks ago, I 9 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: was planning my upcoming week as I usually do, and 10 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: I was reminded that it was going to be a 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 2: tight week. I was gone much of Monday and Tuesday. 12 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: Wednesday was booked solid with local events. I had Thursday 13 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 2: and Friday to be at my desk, but we were 14 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 2: leaving Saturday for a family trip, so all the packing 15 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: would have to fit in there too. In other words, 16 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: I had approximately half a week to fit in not 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: only the stuff from that week, but anything that had 18 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 2: to happen in advance of the week i'd be gone 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: as well. When I saw that, I quickly opted not 20 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 2: to schedule a phone call that I wanted to do 21 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 2: but didn't need to happen immediately. It could take place 22 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 2: after I was back at my desk two weeks later. 23 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,919 Speaker 2: At least that was one fewer things stacked onto the pile. 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: I am guessing that you too, wind up with weeks 25 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: like that. Every minute is accounted for or will need 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: to be spent preparing for something happening in the near future. 27 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 2: The problem happens when we don't realize we are going 28 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 2: to have such weeks. If I were just making things 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 2: day by day, I might have seen that I was 30 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: free after three pm on Wednesday, so that would be 31 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: a good time for the call. But at three pm 32 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: on Wednesday, I was going to need to do all 33 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 2: the work that didn't happen Monday and Tuesday, and likely 34 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: a lot of the stuff I would have done on 35 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 2: Thursday and Friday too, since those days wound up booked 36 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: up with calls that did need to happen. We over 37 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: commit when we don't know exactly what is on our plates. 38 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: If you plan your weeks ahead of time, though, and 39 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: see what's going on personally and professionally, you will be 40 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: able to make more rational choices about what fits and 41 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 2: what doesn't. You might still decide to take something on, 42 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 2: but you will know you are squeezing it in and 43 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 2: you will know that most likely something else will need 44 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: to go to do this weekly planning on Fridays for 45 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,119 Speaker 2: a lot of reasons, but whenever you do it, make 46 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: sure you look at everything that is happening in the 47 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 2: upcoming week. Make sure you know what it is. Then 48 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: look ahead a little and see if you are about 49 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: to face any crunches coming up. If so, figure out 50 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: what you need to do to get ahead of those. 51 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 2: Then you can see what space is left. My guess 52 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: is that many times the answer is not much. So 53 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: that can nudge you to not take on optional things 54 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: or to push things forward if they can be pushed forward. 55 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: When you do that, you'll have a lot on your plate, 56 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 2: but you won't be over committed, and that increases the 57 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: chances that everything that needs to get done will get 58 00:03:54,360 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: done in the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening, 59 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 2: and here's to making the most of our times. 60 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 61 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 62 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at before 63 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then breakfast Pod. 64 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 65 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled 66 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: out with all the letters, thanks so much, should I 67 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 68 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 69 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 70 00:04:54,839 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Jack Day Girl, mm hmm.