WEBVTT - Second Cup: Log your pauses

0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:09.400
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

0:00:10.600 --> 0:00:14.720
<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:17.680
<v Speaker 2>Today's tip is to.

0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:22.560
<v Speaker 1>Log your pauses when you stop work for a little bit,

0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:27.840
<v Speaker 1>see what you do and how you feel. You might

0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.800
<v Speaker 1>get some insights that will help you get more done

0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:37.559
<v Speaker 1>and take better breaks too. People who bill by the

0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.880
<v Speaker 1>hour are used to noting when they start and stop

0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:45.320
<v Speaker 1>working and how long they take for these breaks. When

0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:49.360
<v Speaker 1>you are logging your workday in six minute increments, you

0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:53.200
<v Speaker 1>are aware of exactly how long it takes to run

0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.920
<v Speaker 1>a quick errand to grab coffee, to take a call

0:00:56.960 --> 0:01:00.600
<v Speaker 1>from your spouse to coordinate dinner plans, or how long

0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:05.960
<v Speaker 1>that quick personal email check actually was. People who bill

0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:08.760
<v Speaker 1>this way are well aware that working from nine to

0:01:08.840 --> 0:01:14.240
<v Speaker 1>six does not mean working nine hours. Most likely it

0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:18.840
<v Speaker 1>wasn't even eight hours. It might have been seven if

0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:22.319
<v Speaker 1>you are really good about focusing and moving like a

0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:26.920
<v Speaker 1>machine from one thing to the next. But if you

0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:30.440
<v Speaker 1>are not billing in six minute increments, you might not

0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:33.880
<v Speaker 1>be aware of just how much time goes to pauses

0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:39.360
<v Speaker 1>or transitions. Now, let me be clear, the goal is

0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:42.840
<v Speaker 1>not to get rid of them, because they are inevitable

0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:48.520
<v Speaker 1>and in many cases desirable. I certainly do not want

0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.640
<v Speaker 1>anyone to feel guilty about taking breaks or about chatting

0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:56.720
<v Speaker 1>with colleagues. Instead, the goal is just to be aware

0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.040
<v Speaker 1>of where this time goes, so you can ask what

0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:05.360
<v Speaker 1>is working and what isn't. Just as it is valuable

0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:07.880
<v Speaker 1>to use a time log to identify what you are

0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:11.760
<v Speaker 1>mostly doing during each thirty minute block of the day,

0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:15.840
<v Speaker 1>it is also useful to keep a pause log to

0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:20.280
<v Speaker 1>track what you are actually doing within those thirty minute blocks.

0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:26.399
<v Speaker 1>For a few workdays, anytime you stop working, jot down

0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:30.560
<v Speaker 1>the time, then record the time when you start working again.

0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.840
<v Speaker 1>Particularly if you feel like there is more work than

0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:40.040
<v Speaker 1>there are hours in the workday, a pause log can

0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:42.640
<v Speaker 1>help you figure out whether there is an opportunity to

0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:45.720
<v Speaker 1>fit more in during the workday so you don't have

0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:50.640
<v Speaker 1>to stay late or work on weekends. Maybe you wind

0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:53.240
<v Speaker 1>up making a lot of calls for appointments and such.

0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:58.080
<v Speaker 1>Could you batch these They might need to happen during

0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:01.480
<v Speaker 1>business hours, But could you plan to start work at

0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:06.000
<v Speaker 1>nine thirty am someday after consciously using nine to nine

0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:11.400
<v Speaker 1>thirty for such things? Notice whether your five minute break

0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:15.680
<v Speaker 1>to check your personal email or social media actually ends

0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.960
<v Speaker 1>up being a twenty minute break, and whether it's really

0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.840
<v Speaker 1>worth the time. If your chat's with your work best

0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:28.240
<v Speaker 1>friend average fifteen minutes per conversation, that's great. But maybe

0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:31.799
<v Speaker 1>you could coordinate eating your lunches together so you get

0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:35.400
<v Speaker 1>some extended catch up time and don't have to keep

0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:38.760
<v Speaker 1>feeling like you need to cut the conversation short because

0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:43.120
<v Speaker 1>you are in the middle of doing something else. By

0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:46.520
<v Speaker 1>paying attention to your pauses, you may be able to

0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.960
<v Speaker 1>reclaim some time for making forward progress on your work.

0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:54.520
<v Speaker 1>You may also get insight into the pauses that energize

0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:57.760
<v Speaker 1>you for the work ahead, as opposed to those that

0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:02.800
<v Speaker 1>just aren't yielding many benefits. After a ten minute stretch

0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:06.400
<v Speaker 1>break or walk around your floor, you may feel ready

0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:11.000
<v Speaker 1>to tackle an important project. On the other hand, you

0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:14.800
<v Speaker 1>may notice that the five minute breaks, which are really

0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:18.880
<v Speaker 1>more like fifteen minute breaks to check social media, are

0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:23.359
<v Speaker 1>almost never followed by much productive output. Good to know.

0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:27.880
<v Speaker 1>When you pay attention to how long your breaks take

0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:31.720
<v Speaker 1>and how your work goes after them, you may be

0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:34.360
<v Speaker 1>in a position to find some time for getting more

0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.960
<v Speaker 1>work done without staying late. You'll take breaks that energize you,

0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:44.440
<v Speaker 1>which can make work days feel better, however long they

0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:49.640
<v Speaker 1>happen to be. If you try logging your pauses, I'd

0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:52.479
<v Speaker 1>love to hear what you notice. You can reach me

0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:58.920
<v Speaker 1>at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime,

0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:04.480
<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making

0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:06.440
<v Speaker 1>the most of our time.

0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.720
<v Speaker 2>Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can

0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:19.240
<v Speaker 2>send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just

0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:23.160
<v Speaker 2>connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before

0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:29.120
<v Speaker 2>Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod.

0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:32.880
<v Speaker 2>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

0:05:32.960 --> 0:05:35.240
<v Speaker 2>Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com.

0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:37.800
<v Speaker 3>That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:40.520
<v Speaker 3>Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch.

0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:50.400
<v Speaker 3>Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts

0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:55.320
<v Speaker 3>from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:59.960
<v Speaker 3>you listen to your favorite shows.

0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.360
<v Speaker 1>The Gay Gay Gatle