1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: tip is to get it out of your head. That is, 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: write down anything you're not going to do, write this minute. 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: In a previous episode, I talked about keeping your to 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: do list short. The reason to do this is that 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: there's no point putting something on a to do list 8 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: and then not doing it. It's just as undone as 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: if you'd never put it on the list in the 10 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: first place. Only now you feel bad too. Better to 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: have expectations meet reality. The only way to guarantee that 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: happens is to keep your list short. I mentioned that 13 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: a lot of people really resist this idea. That's because 14 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: we're responsible for more than three to five things in 15 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: the universe. So what do you do with the rest 16 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: of this stuff? How do you keep it from clogging 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: up your brain? How do you make sure you'll remember 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: it in the future. Well, As Before Breakfast listener Holly 19 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: put it in an email to me, you get it 20 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: out of your head. Holly wrote in her note that 21 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: while she was going through some very stressful times in 22 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: her personal life, she began writing down various images and 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: memories that came to her, so she'd have them somewhere 24 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: but wouldn't have to dwell on them. She later realized 25 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: that this process was useful for things beyond her ruminations. 26 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: It was a good idea for managing to do lists 27 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: in general. So now I have a small notebook and 28 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: each page has a subject line, she writes, And on 29 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: that page, I create a list of things I need 30 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,559 Speaker 1: to remember, things that I need to do, and things 31 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: I want to do. This takes them out of my 32 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: head and into a place I can look over several 33 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: times a day to see what I can tick off. 34 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: That is, when she finds herself with some extra time. 35 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: She noted that these lists also hold her accountable for 36 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: steps toward bigger projects. It shows progress, it shows achievements, 37 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: and it shows goals. She says, So what kind of 38 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: pages does Holly have in her notebook? She sent me 39 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: a partial list with all of them. She has pages 40 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: for tracking holidays taken at work, notes for her lawyer, 41 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: notes for her doctor, notes about money general category. Here, 42 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: she says, I put things I need to do but 43 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: having gotten around to, such as getting the cat microchip, 44 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: to meeting up with so and so, etc. She has 45 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: a page for her podcast, a page devoted to holiday destinations, 46 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: page devoted to therapy that might encompass things to cover 47 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: in sessions or exercises she needs to do, shopping lists, makeup. 48 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: She says, I keep a list of the shades and 49 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: brands I love so I don't forget, a destination, bucket list, 50 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: a list for her car which includes general info and 51 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: renewal dates things like that, a Christmas gift ideal list, 52 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: a dream journal, birthday list, social appointments, etc. Holly writes 53 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: that this may seem like a lot, but each time 54 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: I need to make room in my head or life, 55 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: or I'm worried I'll forget a date or a piece 56 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: of information, I just flip to that page and note 57 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: it down. It has given me back control and allowed 58 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: me to stop procrastinating. What Holly discovered is that just 59 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: because we're not going to do something right now doesn't 60 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: mean we don't want to know about it or think 61 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: about it in the future. So, for instance, I just 62 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: made a list in my planner that I'm calling this 63 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: summer fun list. These are things I want to do 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: over the summer that makes summer feel like summer to me, 65 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: I put things like eating ice cream at days in 66 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: Ocean Grove on the New Jersey Shore, going to a 67 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: Phillies game, going to a beer garden, and listening to 68 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: music outdoors. None of these things are on my to 69 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: do list for tomorrow or even for the next week. 70 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: But as I'm going into summer weekends and thinking about 71 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: what I might like to do, I'll have this list 72 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: to look back on. I also have an ongoing list 73 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: of home projects that we should probably do at some point. 74 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: If I put clean out the closet on my to 75 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: do list for this weekend, well, it probably wouldn't get 76 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: done because it's a full weekend, and then I'd feel bad. 77 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: But at least now it's somewhere, and when I do 78 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: feel like I have some time and want to tackle 79 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: a project, I know which ones I've identified as being 80 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: worth doing. I'd also definitely recommend keeping a TBR list 81 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: that stands for to be read. Anytime you hear a 82 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: good book recommendation, don't assume you'll remember it. You won't 83 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: remember it. Put it on the TBR list. Then when 84 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: you find yourself stuck with a weight somewhere, you can 85 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: look at the list, order the ebook on your phone 86 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: and start reading it in your eReading app. Our brains 87 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,119 Speaker 1: can do all sorts of amazing things, but remembering stuff 88 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: we need to do in the future is not really 89 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: one of those things. Or worse well, remember the thing 90 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: at a time when we can do nothing about it. 91 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: I really should call my accountant about that tax issue 92 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: is just not a helpful thing to wake up and 93 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: mull over at three am, So get it out of 94 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: your head. Then your head will have room for all 95 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: sorts of other amazing ideas. I'd love to hear about 96 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: the lists you make. Do you make a lot of them, 97 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: like Holly, or just a few? Do you keep them 98 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: in a notebook or an app or somewhere online. You 99 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,799 Speaker 1: can email me with your ideas at Before Breakfast Podcast 100 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 101 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 102 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 103 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,679 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 104 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 105 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four then 106 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at 107 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast 108 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters thanks so much, 109 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 110 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 111 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 112 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.