1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: tip is to try a finishing blitz. Spend a day 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: completing all the tasks you can, even if they are 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: done imperfectly, and let that sense of accomplishment fuel you 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: for even more in the future. Today's tip, like another 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: this week, comes from Oliver Berkman's book Meditations for Mortals. 8 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: One of Berkman's meditations focuses on finishing things and what 9 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: he calls the magic of completion. Berkman points out that 10 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: completing a task energizes you for future tasks. You have 11 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: probably had this experience. After completing an important task, you 12 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: feel ready to conquer the world, or at least ready 13 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,919 Speaker 1: to knock out another important task. Rather than being depleted 14 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: by what you have done, you are fired up for 15 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: the next thing. But if finishing feels so good, why 16 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: do we leave so many things hanging? Why is procrastination 17 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: so tempting? Why do we spend time deleting emails even 18 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: if we know there will always be emails instead of 19 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: making progress. Berkman points out that perfectionists tend to like 20 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: starting things more than finishing them. At the beginning of 21 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: a project, you can still imagine finishing it perfectly, as 22 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: Berkman writes, for as long as you haven't done any 23 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: work on a project, it's still possible to believe that 24 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: the end result might match the ideal in your mind. 25 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: But the problem is that if you don't finish things, 26 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: the only place the result exists is in your mind. 27 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: The result may be perfect, but it's not real. You 28 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: don't have any accomplishments to celebrate, you can't get feedback 29 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: or other's ideas about the work you've done, and you 30 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: don't get the energy boost of completion. You are much 31 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: better off achieving an imperfect result then having the perfect 32 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: project existing only in your head. Berkman cites advice from 33 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: Steve Chandler, the author of the book Time Warrior. Chandler 34 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: advises spending a day finishing as much unfinished business as 35 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: he calls it as you can, and then noticing how 36 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: much energy you have. You'll be amazed. He says, getting 37 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: stuff done doesn't wear us out. It's leaving things undone 38 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: that tends to sap our energy. For projects that are 39 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: too big to complete in one setting, Berkman advises defining 40 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: your next deliverable, as he puts it, clarify some outcome 41 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: you could attain in a single setting, he suggests, and 42 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: then work until you reach it. He gives the examples 43 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: of finishing the research for a single section of a report, 44 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: picking the paint color for one room, and choosing a 45 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: workout plan and scheduling your first GEM session. Obviously, writing 46 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: a full research report or redecorating your entire house and 47 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: getting fit are more than you can do in one setting, 48 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: but you can get some of the benefits of completion 49 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: by defining the next step toward the goal and then 50 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: accomplishing that step. So if you feel like you are 51 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: in the messy and unmotivated middle of a lot of projects, 52 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: having a one day finishing blitz might be just what 53 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: you need. You'll get a lot done, which will give 54 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: you a sense of accomplishment, Plus you'll get an energy 55 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: boost to fuel you for the next thing. If you 56 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: try finishing blitz, I'd love to hear about it. You 57 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 58 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listen, and 59 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 60 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 61 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 62 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 63 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 64 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.