1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: Today's Tip is the fifth in a five part series 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: on how to take control of your time in the 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: new year. This week, I've been talking about five strategies 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 1: that I know will help you feel less busy and 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: get more done because they've definitely helped me. The first 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: strategy was to track your time. I hope you're five 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: days into that now, but if not, you can start today, 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: start on any day. It's always helpful to know where 11 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: the time really goes. The second strategy was to build 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: in an extra hour for something you really want to do. 13 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: The third strategy was to treat your priorities as real emergencies. 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: The fourth strategy was to try doing things at unorthodox times. 15 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: By being flexible, we can make more space in already 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: full lives. And now the final strategy, the fifth one, 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: is to create more white space. I know that in 18 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: our society it's almost a badge of honor to talk 19 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: about how busy we are. How is life busy? How 20 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: is your weekend busy? We talk about how much we 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: have going on, all the projects at work, The projects 22 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: at home. The implication of all this is that we 23 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: are very, very important, as evidenced by this high demand 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: for our time. But in my years of studying how 25 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: people spend their time, I've found something interesting. Many of 26 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: the most important people I've studied have a surprising amount 27 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: of white space in their lives. They do not schedule 28 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: every minute. They consciously use the power they have over 29 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: their time to try to be less busy, which is 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: definitely something I've been working on learning to do, and 31 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: there are a lot of practical reasons for building in 32 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: open space. Time tracking has shown me that everything takes 33 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: longer than I think it will. Somebody can ask for 34 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: thirty minutes at ten am, but for some reason, that 35 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: call will start late and something will come up, and 36 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: if I schedule something else at ten thirty, I'll really 37 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: need to force the issue. Or if I'm trying to 38 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: get out the door with my kids, I look at 39 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: the clock as I'm calling for everyone to get shoes on. 40 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: We climb in the car, and I look at the 41 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: clock again and shockingly, some non zero amount of time 42 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: has passed in the interim. Transitions aren't instantaneous, ever, yet 43 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: we often assume they are very few people enjoy being 44 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,839 Speaker 1: late and rushing. Creating white space in a schedule can 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: make life feel more calm right there. I also think 46 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: it makes us more productive because white space allows us 47 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: to seize opportunity. If the person on my ten o'clock 48 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: call has some wonderful ideas he wants to discuss, and 49 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: I'm excited about these ideas, it's really nice not to 50 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: be furtively glancing at the clock trying to figure out 51 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: how I can hang up in order to start my 52 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: ten thirty call on time. White space invites these opportunities 53 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: as we linger in good conversations or talk to people 54 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: that we might not talk to when we feel starved 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: for time. We've talked in plenty of previous episodes of 56 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast about how to build in white space, and 57 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: one of my favorites is to be very careful about 58 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: saying yes to things. Don't just ask whether you're free, 59 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: really consider if it's a smart use of your time. 60 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: And one way to gauge this is to ask of 61 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: any request whether you'd be willing to do it tomorrow. 62 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: You know exactly what you have on your plate tomorrow 63 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: and how much energy you're likely to have We have 64 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: absolutely no idea what our answers will be to these 65 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: questions six months from now. Since it's hard to say no, 66 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: the bias is to say yes, and this is what 67 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: leads to our kicking ourselves about being overcommitted. I also 68 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: recommend looking at your calendar once a week, maybe on 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: Friday afternoons. As you look at the week ahead, figure 70 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: out what doesn't have to happen. If you're going to 71 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: cancel that Wednesday meeting, it's better to do it on 72 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: Friday when everyone can make other plans versus Wednesday. Five 73 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: minutes before start time, when you realize just how busy 74 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: you are, you might see that a sixty minute in 75 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: person meeting could be handled in a five minute phone call. 76 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: If that's the case, pick up the phone and make 77 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: that call. Or you might see that four people from 78 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: your team are scheduled to be in a meeting. That's 79 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: just about keeping your team informed. Probably one of you 80 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: can do that. A meeting is not the popular kid's 81 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: table in the middle school cafeteria. Do what you can 82 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: to free up space, and please try to create white 83 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: space at home too. As I create our kids activity schedules, 84 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: I try to keep one completely open day with no activities. 85 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: This is harder than it sounds with four and soon 86 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: to be five kids and all sorts of things. But 87 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: it's nice to have one day where we can relax, 88 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: or the kids can put on their jammies at four 89 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: pm if they want, or they can schedule longer homework 90 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: projects or reschedule things that got bumped from other days. 91 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: On weekends, we schedule some family adventures but leave some 92 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: open time too. Life is really about the balance. So 93 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: as you're studying your schedule this week, I challenge you 94 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: to consciously create more white space. Can you create a 95 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: work day with no meetings or appointments. If that's not possible, 96 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: how about an afternoon or morning, or at least two 97 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: hours open per day. You won't wind up twiddling your thumbs. 98 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: Trust me, this time. We'll get filled with something. But 99 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: leaving it open allows you to deal with what comes up, 100 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: rather than being flustered by the unexpected. Because life is unexpected, 101 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: you don't know for sure what will happen, but something will. 102 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: Creating white space allows you to deal with it. I 103 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: hope you've enjoyed this five part series this week on 104 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: making the most of your time in the new year. 105 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: If you do enjoy this podcast, please tell a friend 106 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: and be sure to rate and review Before Breakfast on 107 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts in 108 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 109 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 110 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 111 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 112 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E 113 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can 114 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 115 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: iHeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out 116 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 117 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 118 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 119 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 120 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.