1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: tip is that if you want more connection in your 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: life but also need to get your work done, you 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: could try working side by side with a friend or 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: favorite colleague. You will log time together and you just 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: might make each other more productive. Today's tip comes from 8 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: an interview I did recently with Anna Goldfarb, author of 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: the book Modern Friendship. During our conversation, Anna mentioned that 10 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: she and a writer friend worked side by side at 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: a cafe once a week for seven years. They logged 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: a lot of time together. It turns out that consistency 13 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: is one of the dental elements of friendship. When you 14 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 1: see each other regularly, as Anna and her writer friend did, 15 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: you create conditions for intimacy to grow. Anna points out 16 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: that an additional secret of their success was that their 17 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: get togethers had a clear about or purpose. They both 18 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: knew that they were there to write. I think this 19 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: is great and as a bonus, these get togethers may 20 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: have eased the isolation that freelancers and remote workers sometimes feel. 21 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: So if you are looking for more connection and you 22 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: have the flexibility to work where you want to at 23 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: least some of the time. You might also benefit from 24 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: working side by side. This could work in a variety 25 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: of ways. If you work remotely, one option is to 26 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: occasionally work side by side with a colleague who lives 27 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: in your area. Maybe every Monday afternoon, you could meet 28 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: up with her at a coffee shop and work side 29 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: by side. Of course, if you and she need to 30 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: meet about anything, you could do that while you are 31 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: together too. If you are a freelancer or remote worker 32 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: without colleagues nearby, you could work side by side with 33 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: a friend who is also a remote worker or a freelancer. 34 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: As Anna and her friends showed, it can be enjoyable 35 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: and productive to work side by side, even if you're 36 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: working on different things. While you are working side by side, 37 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: you will likely spend a little time chatting, just as 38 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: you would chat with the person in the cubicle next 39 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: to yours if you worked in an office. If you 40 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: want time for deeper conversation, you could talk during your 41 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: lunch break or stay for a while after your work 42 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: day ends. As for where to work with a friend, 43 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: a coffee shop or somewhere like Panera is probably the easiest. Option, 44 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: but you could also work at one of your homes, 45 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: perhaps alternating between them. Your dining room table one week, 46 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: her kitchen counter the next. The library is another possibility. 47 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: Some libraries even have rooms you can reserve so you 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,839 Speaker 1: can chat rather than needing to be silent the entire time. Now, 49 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: I brought up working side by side as a way 50 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: to build a relationship while getting your work done, but 51 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: you may find that working near a friend actually increases 52 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: your productivity. If anyone in your life has ADHD. You 53 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: may have heard of body doubling. A person with ADHD 54 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: works in the presence of another person who is also working. 55 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: When you are near someone who is calmly getting their 56 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: work done, it creates a model for how you can 57 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: get your work done too. When you work side by side, 58 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: you and your friends serve as each other's body doubles 59 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: and offer a model of focus and productivity. In other words, 60 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: of working out at home leaves you frequently distracted, Maybe 61 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: a little coworking is what you need. Work side by 62 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: side with a friend and you will know that it 63 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: is work time, and you will log the hours that 64 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: will make you even better friends in the future. In 65 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 66 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 67 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 68 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 69 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 70 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 71 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.