1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to give yourself a time window for 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: when things will get done. Choosing a range rather than 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: an exact time can cut down on all kinds of 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: time anxiety. We've all been on the receiving end of 7 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: time windows. The groceries will be delivered between ten am 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: and noon. The cable guy will come sometime between the 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: window of nine am and five pm, we hope. Wider 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: ranges are often frustrating as you cool your heels waiting 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 1: for the plumber to show up, but tighter ranges can 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: be smart. If you, like me, get quite worked up 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: about being on time to things, arrange turns down the 14 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: temperature a bit for deadlines that don't need to be 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: that strict. So to be clear, the tip is mostly 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: for the punctual folks listening to this, though if you 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: listen to productivity podcasts, my guess is that you're more 18 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: likely to fall into this category than the average person. 19 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: As I'm writing this, many of us haven't gone anywhere 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: for a while. But as life goes back to normal, 21 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: people will make plans and plans often involve times. If 22 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: someone tells me to be somewhere at ten am, I 23 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: tend to figure out how long it will take me 24 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: to get there, and figure out how long it will 25 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: take me to get ready, and then I build in 26 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: a buffer so I will be arriving by nine am, 27 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: even if there is traffic or a complicated parking situation. 28 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: And that's fine for a really important meeting. It's less 29 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: necessary if ten families are all meeting up at a playground, 30 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: or if I just need to touch base with someone 31 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: briefly by phone. My personality is such that if someone 32 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: tells me to get them something by two pm on Thursday, 33 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: I will then move heaven and earth to do so 34 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: without asking if there's a reason for that timing. This 35 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: can be frustrating for everyone if it turns out there 36 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: isn't really a reason. So recently, as I was in 37 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: a seemingly endless email chain about setting a time for 38 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: a call, trying to figure out an exact time that 39 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: would work around baby feedings and such, I realized that 40 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: I was better off saying, Hey, could I just call 41 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: you some time between ten and eleven? The person agreed, 42 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: especially since I made it very clear that she didn't 43 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: need to sit around waiting for my call. If it 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: didn't work to pick up what I called, well, we'd 45 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: try back in a little bit. I was so much 46 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: more relaxed about this then if I tried to set 47 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: an exact time, and I'm sure that came through when 48 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: we did connect. If you find yourself doing similar acrobatics 49 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: to meet an exact time that doesn't have to be exact, 50 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: maybe you could try giving yourself a window too. We'll 51 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: be at the playground around two or two thirty and 52 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: would love to see you there. Or I can give 53 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: this report back to you sometime next week, unless there's 54 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: a more specific time you need it by now. If 55 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: you are not the punctual sort, this tip is not 56 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: for you, because, as I've found that chronically late people 57 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: have already taken the liberty of giving themselves a range 58 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: to them Saying you'll be somewhere at ten really means 59 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: you'll be there by ten thirty or possibly even eleven. 60 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: The problem is that no one else is aware of 61 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: this assumed range, and this can lead to bad feelings. 62 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: For a range to work, it needs to be transparent 63 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: and mutually agreed upon but if it is, then this 64 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: builds in flexibility for things that don't need to be exact, 65 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: and sometimes schedules work better when there's a little bit 66 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: of give to them. In the meantime, this is Laura. 67 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 68 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 69 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 70 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 71 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast 72 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 73 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before 74 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 75 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 76 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 77 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 78 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.