1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that behind is not a feeling. While 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: people often lament feeling constantly behind, this isn't a helpful mindset. 5 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: When you know what you are responsible for, then either 6 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: you are behind or you are not behind. Is a fact, 7 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: not a feeling, and facts turn out to be easier 8 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: to deal with. Long time listeners know that I advocate 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,959 Speaker 1: planning your weeks in reasonable detail. You want to know 10 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: what you need to accomplish and when you will do it. 11 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: When you do this, it is a straightforward question of 12 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: whether or not you are are on track. If it 13 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: is Wednesday morning and you have accomplished the tasks you 14 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: assign yourself from Monday and Tuesday, then you are on schedule. 15 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: That's great. If you haven't finished the presentation you intended 16 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: to get done on Tuesday morning, then you are behind. 17 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: This is a simple fact. It is not an existential 18 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: take on life, and since it is a simple description 19 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: of the mismatch between expectations and events on the ground, 20 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: you can take steps to deal with it. You could 21 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: work a little later to do that presentation. You could 22 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: request an extension. You could ask your deputy to take 23 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: a stab at a first draft. Any of these solutions 24 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: might work, but all of them are taking concrete steps 25 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: to solve a specific problem. No need to draw conclusions 26 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: about anything concerning your competent sense or the state of 27 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: the world in general. It's wise to break long term 28 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: projects into incremental steps, with a plan for when you'll 29 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: complete each of the steps. Perhaps you figure out what 30 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: you'll get done each month, and then each month you 31 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: schedule out the steps for each week, and then each 32 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: week you map out what you'll do each day. If 33 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: you make your way through long term projects with a 34 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: plan and a schedule, they don't have to loom over 35 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: your head. A project is a race to be run, 36 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: not a nebulous threat to be feared. You have facts 37 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: about what you need to do and a plan for 38 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: when you'll do it. But if you don't have a 39 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: plan for a long term project, or for the week 40 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: or for the day, you may get an anxious feeling. 41 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: You worry that you haven't done something you should have, 42 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: or that there's more to do between now and the 43 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 1: end of the day or the week or the year. 44 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: Then you can manage. You may say that you feel behind, 45 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: but what you feel is out of control. So get 46 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: some facts, figure out what you need to do, and 47 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: make a plan for doing it. Your anxiety will go 48 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: down and your sense of purpose will go up. You 49 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: won't say you feel behind anymore because you'll have a schedule. 50 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: You are either on track or you are not on track. 51 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 1: And if you are behind schedule, you can calmly figure 52 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: out what you need to do to get back on 53 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: schedule or if the timelines need to be revised. When 54 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: you know what you need to do and when you 55 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: need to do it, then behind is not a feeling. 56 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: It either is the case or it isn't the case. 57 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: There is no need to give the facts more power 58 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: than that. In the meantime, this is ra Thanks for listening, 59 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 60 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 61 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 62 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 63 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: that's B the number four then Breakfast p o D. 64 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 65 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: Podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 66 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 67 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 68 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 69 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 70 00:04:53,800 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Yea.