1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: tip is that when you realize you can't complete everything 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: on your to do list, identify any tasks that would 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: result in serious consequences if you left them undone. This 6 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: provides a quick way to figure out what to do first. 7 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: I was reminded of this tip to ask what is 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: most consequential recently while reading through Dick Seller's book Successful 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: Time Management for Dummies. As longtime listeners know, I advise 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: considering your to do list a contract with yourself. When 11 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: you put a task on the to do list for 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: the day or week, you are promising yourself that it 13 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: will get done. But occasionally our days go wildly off 14 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: the rails. A very sick kid needs your careen presence. 15 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: A dramatic plumbing emergency means there is water everywhere, or 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,199 Speaker 1: let's just hope it's water. An important work project lands 17 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: on your desk with a very tight deadline. Suddenly the 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: reasonable to do list that you are planning to complete 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: becomes impossibly long, so you have to regroup. When you 20 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,559 Speaker 1: need to choose what to do from your to do list. 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: Zeller advises asking what if not done today will lead 22 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 1: to a significant consequence. I think this is a wise question. 23 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: When you are feeling stressed, it is tempting to look 24 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: at your to do list and choose the simplest or 25 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: fastest tasks to complete. We all want to check things off, 26 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: but if you aren't going to do everything, then this 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: impulse is problematic because whether or not you fill out 28 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: that form for HR today doesn't really matter if it 29 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: is not due until next week, and it may not 30 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: matter all that much at all. Doing it will take 31 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: time away from doing more pressing things. It is much 32 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: wiser to evaluate the items on the to do list 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: to identify that any that will cause big problems if 34 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: they aren't done today. Just run through your list and 35 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: ask yourself, will terrible things happen if this doesn't get 36 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: done today? So, for instance, will terrible things happen if 37 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: I don't send back that big proposal that the client 38 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: wants by the end of the day, Well we won't 39 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: get the project in that case, and if we really 40 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: want that project, that would be a bad thing. What 41 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: will happen if I don't pick up that medication that 42 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: I need and that I am completely out of well, 43 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: that would also be bad. What will happen if I 44 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: don't pick up my shirts at the cleaners? Well, if 45 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: you have other shirts, not much, so that is probably 46 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: okay to reschedule. You get the idea, consider what harm 47 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: would actually come from not completing a task. As you 48 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: do this, you may realize that some tasks don't ever 49 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: need to be completed. That is good to know. Now, 50 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: That's said, just because not completing a task today isn't 51 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: harmful doesn't mean it won't eventually become consequential. Nothing bad 52 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: will happen if you don't submit your taxes by April 53 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: tenth here in the US, but something bad may happen 54 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: if you don't submit them by April fifteenth. Likewise, Zeller 55 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: gives the example of a presentation. The day before a presentation, 56 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: you really do have to prepare for it, but that 57 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: task may not have been urgent a week earlier. Of course, 58 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: in general, we do want to do things before the 59 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: last minute. But it is also true that if you 60 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: can't get to everything and you need to triage, then 61 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: it is better to do the things for which last 62 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: minute is right now than the things for which last 63 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: minute is sometime off in the future. In the meantime, 64 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 65 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 66 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 67 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 68 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 69 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 70 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.