1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: tip is for when you are working through a big 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: project and are feeling stumped or unmotivated, go ahead and 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: do the easiest part first. It might not be much, 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: but it is something, and something tends to be better 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 1: than nothing. I write a lot, but even so, some 8 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,959 Speaker 1: things are harder to write than others. I don't generally 9 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: have lots of time to just stare at a blank page. 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: So whenever something feels difficult, I need a strategy. Here's 11 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: what it is. I write the easiest or most obvious 12 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: part first. Maybe it's a book review where I know 13 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to use one particularly wise quote and one 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: rather silly quote that the author included. Even if I 15 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: don't know how I am going to start the review, 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: I can write those two paragraphs. Then maybe something else 17 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: will occur to me, and now I've got at least 18 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: a quarter of the review done. Perhaps you've got a 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: big project going too. If things are seeming challenging, just 20 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: do whatever seems most doable. If you are doing employee 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: of valuations, there is probably some straightforward stuff about projects 22 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: and tenure and whatever else that you can put down. 23 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: If you are giving a presentation, maybe make the slide 24 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: that you know you are going to include. I mean, 25 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: we're literally talking the slide with your bio and contact 26 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: information if that's what it takes, or the title. Hey, 27 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: now we're getting somewhere. I know. There's a school of 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: thought that says to eat that frog. That is, do 29 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: the most challenging or difficult part first, because everything else 30 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: will seem easy afterwards. There's definitely something to that. I 31 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: think people are generally better off starting their days with 32 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: challenging work or work that requires focus. That's because everyone 33 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: runs out of steam. But within that focused time that 34 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: you have carved out, if you find yourself just beating 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: your head against the wall and feeling frustrated, give yourself 36 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: the gift of doing something on this big project. Just 37 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: do the easiest part first. Once the easiest part is done, 38 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: you have something. It is almost always easier to turn 39 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: something into something more than to turn nothing into something. 40 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: As you are creating the easiest slide in that deck, 41 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: you will get an idea for another one, and then 42 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: you will remember that cute anecdote you wanted to tell 43 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: at the opening, and next thing you know, you are 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: pretty far into your project. Work creates its own momentum, 45 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: but you have to get that momentum going. So I 46 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: just copied down the quotes from the book I'm reviewing 47 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: that I plan to use with a book proposal. I 48 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: could just go ahead and fill in my bio. I 49 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: am pretty sure what my bio and headshot look like. 50 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: Then suddenly the rest of the project doesn't feel nearly 51 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: so overwhelming. Start with the easiest part, and sometimes the 52 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: harder parts become easier. You just have to get going. 53 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 54 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 55 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 56 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 57 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 58 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 59 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.