WEBVTT - Behind is not a feeling

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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 that behind is not a feeling. While

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<v Speaker 1>people often lament feeling constantly behind, this isn't a helpful mindset.

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<v Speaker 1>When you know what you are responsible for, then either

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<v Speaker 1>you are behind or you are not behind. Is a fact,

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<v Speaker 1>not a feeling, and facts turn out to be easier

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<v Speaker 1>to deal with. Long time listeners know that I advocate

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<v Speaker 1>planning your weeks in reasonable detail. You want to know

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<v Speaker 1>what you need to accomplish and when you will do it.

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<v Speaker 1>When you do this, it is a straightforward question of

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<v Speaker 1>whether or not you are are on track. If it

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<v Speaker 1>is Wednesday morning and you have accomplished the tasks you

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<v Speaker 1>assign yourself from Monday and Tuesday, then you are on schedule.

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<v Speaker 1>That's great. If you haven't finished the presentation you intended

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<v Speaker 1>to get done on Tuesday morning, then you are behind.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a simple fact. It is not an existential

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<v Speaker 1>take on life, and since it is a simple description

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<v Speaker 1>of the mismatch between expectations and events on the ground,

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<v Speaker 1>you can take steps to deal with it. You could

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<v Speaker 1>work a little later to do that presentation. You could

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<v Speaker 1>request an extension. You could ask your deputy to take

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<v Speaker 1>a stab at a first draft. Any of these solutions

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<v Speaker 1>might work, but all of them are taking concrete steps

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<v Speaker 1>to solve a specific problem. No need to draw conclusions

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<v Speaker 1>about anything concerning your competent sense or the state of

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<v Speaker 1>the world in general. It's wise to break long term

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<v Speaker 1>projects into incremental steps, with a plan for when you'll

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<v Speaker 1>complete each of the steps. Perhaps you figure out what

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<v Speaker 1>you'll get done each month, and then each month you

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<v Speaker 1>schedule out the steps for each week, and then each

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<v Speaker 1>week you map out what you'll do each day. If

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<v Speaker 1>you make your way through long term projects with a

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<v Speaker 1>plan and a schedule, they don't have to loom over

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<v Speaker 1>your head. A project is a race to be run,

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<v Speaker 1>not a nebulous threat to be feared. You have facts

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<v Speaker 1>about what you need to do and a plan for

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<v Speaker 1>when you'll do it. But if you don't have a

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<v Speaker 1>plan for a long term project, or for the week

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<v Speaker 1>or for the day, you may get an anxious feeling.

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<v Speaker 1>You worry that you haven't done something you should have,

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<v Speaker 1>or that there's more to do between now and the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the day or the week or the year.

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<v Speaker 1>Then you can manage. You may say that you feel behind,

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<v Speaker 1>but what you feel is out of control. So get

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<v Speaker 1>some facts, figure out what you need to do, and

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<v Speaker 1>make a plan for doing it. Your anxiety will go

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<v Speaker 1>down and your sense of purpose will go up. You

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<v Speaker 1>won't say you feel behind anymore because you'll have a schedule.

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<v Speaker 1>You are either on track or you are not on track.

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<v Speaker 1>And if you are behind schedule, you can calmly figure

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<v Speaker 1>out what you need to do to get back on

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<v Speaker 1>schedule or if the timelines need to be revised. When

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<v Speaker 1>you know what you need to do and when you

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<v Speaker 1>need to do it, then behind is not a feeling.

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<v Speaker 1>It either is the case or it isn't the case.

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<v Speaker 1>There is no need to give the facts more power

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<v Speaker 1>than that. In the meantime, this is ra Thanks for listening,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod

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<v Speaker 1>that's B the number four then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>Podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Yea.