1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: episode is going to be a slightly longer one, but 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: instead of interviewing someone fascinating about how they take their 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: days from great to awesome, I am going to be 6 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: talking about some of the best tips I have heard 7 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: over the years and that have been shared on Before 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: Breakfast so all of us can make our days a 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: little better. Before Breakfast launched in March of twenty nineteen, 10 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: so this episode is celebrating seven years of the show. 11 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: This is a daily podcast, and yes, there's been a 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: new episode every weekday morning for the past seven years. 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: That is a lot of episodes, and it is a 14 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,319 Speaker 1: lot of morning It's a lot of ideas on how 15 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: to do life better. For the first five or so years, 16 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: the show was only short episodes, approximately four to six 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: minutes each. Then in late twenty twenty four, I began 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: adding one interview episode a week so we could hear 19 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: from other people about their expertise and their strategies. It's 20 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: been fun for me to talk with all kinds of 21 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: amazing people and to share these conversations with you. Anyway, 22 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: today I'm going to be talking through some of my 23 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: favorite ideas from the first year of the show. If 24 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: you just joined us in the past year or so, 25 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: I encourage you to go back through the archives see 26 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: what you missed. But here is some very practical advice 27 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: from twenty nineteen that I think still holds up now. 28 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: For instance, on March twenty ninth, twenty nineteen, I suggested 29 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: listeners plan something fun for Sunday nights. Even people who 30 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: like their jobs can often feel a sense of trepidation 31 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: those Sunday scaries by Sunday afternoon. One way to avoid 32 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: those scaries is to plan in something you can anticipate 33 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: for later in the weekend. After all, if you are 34 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: meeting friends for dinner on Sunday night, you will be 35 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: thinking about your dinner rather than Monday morning for much 36 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: of Sunday afternoon, and that is a lot more fun. Yes, 37 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 1: Sunday night is a school night, so you might want 38 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: to do something simple and not plan on being out 39 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: too late. But there is no reason to lose Sunday 40 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: mentally to Monday. Enjoy every second of Sunday that you can. 41 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: Here's another twenty nineteen idea that is related to weekends. 42 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: On May third, twenty nineteen, I did an episode saying 43 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: don't grocery shop on weekends. Now, I know, I know 44 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: that really feels like the time it fits for a 45 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: lot of people with full time jobs. But grocery stores 46 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: are often very busy on weekends since everybody shops in, 47 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 1: so it will take a lot of time to get 48 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: in and get out and battle the crowds. Grocery shopping 49 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: on weekends also reinforces the idea that weekends are for 50 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: chores and errands. But are they? I think it might 51 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: be wise to keep the focus on family time and 52 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: rejuvenating leisure. Maybe chores and errands can be done during 53 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: the week when you are already in work mode. A 54 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: lot of grocery stores are open late. If you've got 55 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: a fly, maybe one parent does bedtime and the other 56 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: goes out grocery shopping. Or if you work from home 57 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: on occasion, maybe you could use what would have been 58 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: the commute time someday to shop. The shopping will take 59 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: less time during the week than during the madness of 60 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: a Saturday afternoon, and you will be able to use 61 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: the weekends for other things. On June sixth, twenty nineteen, 62 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: the before Breakfast tip was to schedule a mental health morning. Now. 63 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: This was a listener's suggestion. Someone noted that it was 64 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: often hard to take a full day of PTO if 65 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: you had various responsibilities, and when people do take PTO, 66 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: they often want to use it for longer vacations. But 67 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: it might be possible to take half a day off 68 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: and use that time for something restorative. For instance, if 69 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: you had a dentist appointment at eleven am, you might 70 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: purposefully take the morning off until then and do something 71 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: that would soothe your soul, reading hobbies, maybe seeing a 72 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: friend with some flexibility in their schedule. Even a little 73 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: break can go a long way toward making life feel 74 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: more sustainable. If you schedule your mental health morning and 75 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: for a week or two ahead of time, then you 76 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: can look forward to it, and I believe that anticipation 77 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: is one of the best forms of self care out there. 78 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: In that same vein of taking small breaks, on June twelfth, 79 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, we talked about how Wednesday is the best 80 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: day to work from home now. This episode aired long 81 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: before COVID, when working from home became a lot more common. 82 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: Yes before Breakfast was around before the pandemic. Back in 83 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, people were writing whole think pieces on the 84 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: angst of negotiation to work from home just one day 85 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: a week. Then, as now, the most common day people 86 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: would ask for was Friday, And on some level it 87 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: makes sense, as Fridays tend to be slower, people thought 88 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: their managers would be most likely to approve Fridays as well, 89 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: people often work less on Fridays, or maybe leave a 90 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: little bit earlier, and so the perceived opportunity cost is lower. 91 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: But the problem is that buys into the idea that 92 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: people who are working from home aren't really working. Choosing 93 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: Friday just limits the damage. Now you and I both 94 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: know this isn't true. Many of us work quite hard 95 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: from home. So I suggested that people consider negotiating to 96 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: work from home on Wednesdays. That way, if you have 97 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: a long commute, you will only have to do it 98 00:06:55,720 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: twice in a row. Wednesday provides a nice mid way 99 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: week break from the usual routines. You could use Wednesday 100 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,840 Speaker 1: to hunker down and work on all the deliverables coming 101 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: out of the meetings on the other days. I'm not 102 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: sure how many people took me up on this idea 103 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: to negotiate to work from home on Wednesday, but I 104 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: still think it's a good one. So We're going to 105 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: take a quick ad break and then I will be 106 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: back with some more historic Before Breakfast ideas from the 107 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: first year. Well we are back. I am sharing some 108 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: of my favorite tips from the first year of Before 109 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: Breakfast as we celebrate the show's seventh anniversary. So, speaking 110 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: of dealing with long commutes, as we were talking about 111 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: before the break on July tenth of twenty nineteen, I 112 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: suggested people try to commute with a friend. Not every day, 113 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: of course, but given how much people hate their commutes 114 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: and how many people say they wish they could see 115 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: their friends more, I am surprised at how little this 116 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: actually happens. For a lot of people. Commuting time is 117 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: almost entirely wasted. Turning it into relationship building time would 118 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: massively upgrade the experience. Now, I know that carpooling involves 119 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: a fair amount of planning and coordination, not everyone lives 120 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: near each other or works in similar places. Even for 121 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: people who do live near each other or even live 122 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: with each other and who work near each other, it 123 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: might be a little inconvenient. It might add a few 124 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: minutes onto the trip. You might lose a sense of 125 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 1: absolute flexibility on when you can leave. But what an upside. 126 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: If a friend, their family member, or partner works anywhere 127 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: near you, it would be worth trying even just one 128 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,199 Speaker 1: day a week or one day every two weeks as 129 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: a way to reclaim a few minutes and make something 130 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: that is not fun feel a lot more fun. On 131 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: July twenty fifth of twenty nineteen, our Before Breakfast episodes 132 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: suggested that people read at lunch. When people take a 133 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: lunch break, the temptation is often to read headlines or 134 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: scroll around on social media if they're not with somebody else, 135 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: and it feels kind of relaxing. But reading a real 136 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:45,199 Speaker 1: book would feel even more indulgent. And this reading time 137 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: does add up. If you read for fifteen minutes at 138 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: lunch five times a week, that's another one point two 139 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: five hours of reading per week. A lot of books 140 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: take about three to four to read, so if you 141 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: do the math, that's like adding another book every three 142 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: to four weeks right there. That gives you an extra 143 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: fourteen to seventeen extra books per year without really giving 144 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: anything up. That certainly sounds like a win to me. 145 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: Instead of losing time in general to small things, collecting 146 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: these bits of time ephemera and focusing them on one 147 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: thing can make life feel a lot more fulfilling. On 148 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: August twelfth of twenty nineteen, a listener suggested a hack 149 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: which became an episode called Create a Better to Do List. 150 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: The idea was to give all tasks on your to 151 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: do list an actual time. The basic idea here is 152 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: that tasks take time, so if there is not a 153 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: designated time to do the tasks, they are probably not 154 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: going to happen. This is a very simple idea, but 155 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: it is so true, and so many people try to 156 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: ignore it. They put things on the to do list 157 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: with no available time to do them, and then get 158 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: frustrated when they don't make it through their to do list. Now, 159 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: some of us have reasonably flexible jobs and so we 160 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: don't have to be quite as rigid about exact times 161 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: for everything on our to do lists. But if you 162 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: do happen to have a job or a situation where 163 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: time is tight, as you are making your to do 164 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: list for the next day, figure out when you will 165 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: do each task, where on your calendar will it go. 166 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: Maybe you will need to move things around, or maybe 167 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,599 Speaker 1: you will need to limit your to do list. You 168 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: might have to make some hard choices, but you know 169 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: that is not a bad thing. Choices lead to a 170 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: to do list that is actually doable. On September twenty three, 171 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, I suggested something that could make email more fun. 172 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: Reach out to someone you admire. If someone has done 173 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: something cool in the world, send them an email and 174 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: let them know that you thought it was cool or 175 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: if it had an impact on you. Now, if the 176 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: particular person is really well known or famous, they might 177 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: not respond, but a lot of these emails do in 178 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: fact get read. You will feel good sending it, and 179 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: most likely the person will feel good reading it, or 180 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: at least someone on the person's team will feel good 181 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: knowing that they are doing good in the world. There's 182 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: really no downside. This is true for sending positive emails 183 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,199 Speaker 1: in general. Let an old friend or colleague know your 184 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: thinking about them. I'm guessing that you couldn't mind getting 185 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: a similar email from someone else, so that can be 186 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: your guiding principle for whether to send these things. On 187 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: September twenty sixth, twenty nineteen, I shared one of my 188 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: favorite suggestions for how people with young kids can have 189 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: more real leisure time. Give each parent one night off. 190 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: The idea is that if you are in a two 191 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: parent family, or at least your co parenting with someone, 192 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: each of you gets one night off from caregiving duties 193 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: to go do something that is not work and is 194 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: not taking care of family members, but is fun for you. 195 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: For instance, maybe one of you sings an a choir 196 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: on Tuesdays and the other person plays in a pickleball 197 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: league on Thursdays. The kids are still with a parent 198 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: on each of these nights, but each parent gets to 199 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: feel like a full person, maybe even keeping up with 200 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: interests they have from before kids. A lot of parents 201 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: feel like they have no time for fun, but I 202 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,599 Speaker 1: find that many times people aren't using all the resources 203 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: that are available to them. Your co parent is a resource, 204 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: and you have a joint pool of hours. Each of 205 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: you can take some time for you, as long as 206 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: you trade off and keep it fair. Now, I know 207 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: all families don't look like this, but maybe you could 208 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: swap nights with someone else in your life to take 209 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: a night for you. A friend, a neighbor, an extended 210 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: family member. I'm betting that it can still work. We're 211 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: going to take one more quick ad break and then 212 00:14:48,640 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: I will be back with some more historic Before Breakfast advice. Well, 213 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: I am back talking ideas from the first year of 214 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast as we celebrate this show's seventh anniversary on 215 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: October eighth, twenty nineteen. I suggested that listeners become a 216 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: regular somewhere. A lot of people feel disconnected these days, 217 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: maybe even a little bit lonely. It's good to go 218 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: somewhere where everybody knows your name, as they sang in 219 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: the theme song for Cheers. If you and your family 220 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: like to go out to eat twice a month, maybe 221 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: you make a point of going to the same restaurant 222 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: for one of those times, so you eat at the 223 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: same place twelve times a year and you get to 224 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: know the establishment. Or maybe you always go to the 225 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: same bar with your pickleball league after your games. Maybe 226 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: you and your running buddy stop at the same coffee 227 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: shop for coffee after your run every Saturday morning, and 228 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: so you get to know the people who work there 229 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: at that time and the regulars who are also getting 230 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: their coffee. You can learn people's names. You could say hello, 231 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: and even though you don't have a close relationship with 232 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: these people, you'll feel like someone in the universe knows 233 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: about you and knows you exist. Plus, you develop favorites 234 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: that you could start to tell others about and have 235 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: some knowledge here everyone likes the guacamole at that particular 236 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: Mexican place. You know, that sort of thing. On December sixth, 237 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, we talked about the wisdom of trying forty 238 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: minute meetings. There is no real reason that meetings have 239 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: to default to thirty or sixty minutes. If you might 240 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: be tempted to schedule something for an hour, see if 241 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: you can construct the agenda to be done in forty 242 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: minutes instead. This leaves time for making sure everyone is 243 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: clear on all the next steps, and maybe even doing 244 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: some of those next steps. You can send those emails 245 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: right then. This also lets people go to the bathroom 246 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: or get a cup of coffee and get to their 247 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: next meeting on time. One of the reasons people often 248 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: feel frantic or so behind during the workday is that 249 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: we often don't build in time for transitions. But even 250 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: if you are meeting virtually and not in person, transitions 251 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: don't take zero time. They do take sometime build them 252 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: in and everyone will be a lot more calm and 253 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:48,719 Speaker 1: a lot happier. Finally, on December sixteenth, I suggested that 254 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: busy people make mornings into family time. Sometimes the time 255 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: after work can be hard to use well. People are tired. 256 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: Young kids might need to go to bed on the 257 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: early side, which limits how much you can see them then. 258 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: But from my experience, many young kids also wake up 259 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:13,239 Speaker 1: at the crack of dawn. If your kid is up 260 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: at let's say five thirty am, and you don't need 261 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: to leave for work until eight thirty am, this is 262 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: three hours you could potentially be spending together, and my 263 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: guess is you don't need all of it for getting ready. 264 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: With a few exceptions, whatever playing you would have done 265 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: in the evening can be done in the morning. Yep, 266 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: you can go to a playground at seven thirty in 267 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: the morning if you like, even if you don't have 268 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: little kids. Trying a family breakfast or building in enough 269 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,199 Speaker 1: time into a morning to talk with your partner or 270 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:52,239 Speaker 1: talk with your teenage children can make mornings feel a 271 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: lot more satisfying. They don't just need to be about 272 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: racing out the door. We can take our days from 273 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: g to awesome by being more mindful of the time 274 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: that already exists and moving our mindset from surviving to thriving. Anyway, 275 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 1: those are some of my favorite tips from the first 276 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 1: year of the show. Thank you so much for listening 277 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. It has been a great seven years 278 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: since March of twenty nineteen, and I hope you will 279 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: continue to tune in every morning for more tips on 280 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: taking days from great to awesome. What have been your 281 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: favorite episodes of Before Breakfast? You can let me know 282 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: or let me know any feedback and what you'd like 283 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:47,360 Speaker 1: to see more of at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 284 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 285 00:19:53,760 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 286 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 287 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 288 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 289 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 290 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.