WEBVTT - Learn your seasons

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to learn your seasons, find the natural

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<v Speaker 1>rhythms of your year so you can use them to

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<v Speaker 1>help you set goals. That makes sense to you. If

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<v Speaker 1>you ever listen to my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds,

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<v Speaker 1>you may have heard one of our goal episodes when

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<v Speaker 1>my co host Sarah Hart Hunger and I discussed the

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<v Speaker 1>goals we are setting and check in on our progress.

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<v Speaker 1>I like to set goals by quarter January through March,

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<v Speaker 1>April through June, July through September, and October through the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the year. I like the rhythm of orders

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<v Speaker 1>because thirteen weeks feels like a nice mix between the

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<v Speaker 1>ambition and realism. A quarter is a long enough time

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<v Speaker 1>to accomplish something big, but a short enough time that

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<v Speaker 1>there aren't so many unknowns that the line between planning

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<v Speaker 1>and dreaming starts to blur. Sarah, though, sets goals by

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<v Speaker 1>what she calls quintiles. To her. As she explained to

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<v Speaker 1>me on Best of Both Worlds, quarters don't really seem

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<v Speaker 1>to fit the rhythms of her life. Her rhythms are

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<v Speaker 1>derived from the academic calendar. Her first quintile runs from

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<v Speaker 1>January one through spring break. The second is spring break

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<v Speaker 1>to the end of the school, the third is summer vacation,

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<v Speaker 1>the fourth is the start of school till Halloween, and

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<v Speaker 1>then the last is November in December. Those are the

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<v Speaker 1>natural seasons of her life. They provide an obvious sense

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<v Speaker 1>of focus that is inherent in each season. Camps and

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<v Speaker 1>vacations in quintile three, new kids schedules in Quintile four,

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<v Speaker 1>holiday celebrations, and preparing for the next year in Quintile five.

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<v Speaker 1>On Sarah's other podcast, Best Laid Plans, she interviewed organizing

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<v Speaker 1>expert Lisa Woodruff. Lisa explained that she plans in trimesters,

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<v Speaker 1>again linked to the academic calendar, but with just one

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<v Speaker 1>Lisa season for each semester, whereas Sarah has two seasons

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<v Speaker 1>per semester. So Lisa plans and set schools for the

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<v Speaker 1>fall semester, the spring semester, and the summer. Clear and simple,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe one of these approaches three seasons, four seasons, five

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<v Speaker 1>seasons feels natural to you, or maybe something entirely different

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<v Speaker 1>makes sense. Maybe for your family it's sports seasons football, basketball, baseball.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe you are an accountant and there are rhythms of

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<v Speaker 1>tax seasons. Maybe you run a ski school and focus

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<v Speaker 1>on business from November to April, with the rest of

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<v Speaker 1>the year focused on very different things. In any case,

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<v Speaker 1>figure out the seasons of your year, however you define

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<v Speaker 1>them what would make sense. The reason to do this

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<v Speaker 1>is that when you learn the seasons of your year,

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<v Speaker 1>you are able to think through your year strategically. You

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<v Speaker 1>can set goals and priorities for a period of time

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<v Speaker 1>that feels distinct and meaningful, not arbitrary. You are oriented

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<v Speaker 1>towards accomplishing specific goals within a clearly defined time period,

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<v Speaker 1>the year feels more doable. You know the landscape. You

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<v Speaker 1>can also make appropriate choices focusing on business during your

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<v Speaker 1>busines season, let's say, and focusing on an athletic goal

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<v Speaker 1>during the list busy time. So as you consider your

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<v Speaker 1>goals for decide on your seasons within the year, then

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<v Speaker 1>use those seasons to help you work toward your goals

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<v Speaker 1>and celebrate your accomplishments in the meantime. This is Laura,

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey, everybody, i'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four, then Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>p o D. You can also shoot me an email

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<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast. At i heeart media com that

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<v Speaker 1>so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before

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