WEBVTT - Work slower

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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 work slower. Sometimes doing things at

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<v Speaker 1>a deliberate pace can lead to better work. It can

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<v Speaker 1>also lead to you feeling better about your work, which

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<v Speaker 1>is no small thing. Today's tip, like some others this week,

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<v Speaker 1>comes from Chris Bailey's new book, How to Calm Your Mind.

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<v Speaker 1>This book is all about finding presents and productivity in

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<v Speaker 1>anxious times. Chris notes that the opposite of burnout isn't

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<v Speaker 1>doing nothing, it's engagement. The more engaged we are with

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<v Speaker 1>our lives, the less anxious and the more productive of

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<v Speaker 1>we will be. While we can certainly build engaging hobbies

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<v Speaker 1>and activities into our lives, it's even better if we

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<v Speaker 1>can feel actively engaged in our work. One way to

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<v Speaker 1>do that, according to Chris, it's working slower. As you

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<v Speaker 1>turn down the stimulation factor by ending multitasking, you will

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<v Speaker 1>naturally dive deeper into what you're doing. Chris writes, there

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<v Speaker 1>is great joy to be found in working with a

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<v Speaker 1>thoughtful deliberateness on what's important. If you value productivity as

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<v Speaker 1>I do, don't worry what you'll lose in speed, you'll

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<v Speaker 1>easily earn back and making progress on what's important. This

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<v Speaker 1>is a lesson I am continually relearning when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to doing deep knowledge work. The more slowly I work,

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<v Speaker 1>the more impact my work tends to have. Now, Chris's

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<v Speaker 1>argument here doesn't mean pointlessly delaying things or leaving your

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<v Speaker 1>coworkers waiting. I think the best image to keep in

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<v Speaker 1>mind is using the space you would have used for

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<v Speaker 1>multitasking to actually engage in your work more deeply. Rather

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<v Speaker 1>than interrupting yourself ten times in an hour to check

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<v Speaker 1>email as you write a memo, take fifty minutes to

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<v Speaker 1>write that memo, focusing only on that memo, and then

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<v Speaker 1>check your email for ten minutes, which do you think

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<v Speaker 1>will produce a more carefully crafted statement. You are working

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<v Speaker 1>slower and more deliberately, but the good news is that

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<v Speaker 1>the task as a whole might not really take any

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<v Speaker 1>more time. Rather than have a superficial conversation with a

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<v Speaker 1>colleague as you are both flitting in and out of messages,

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<v Speaker 1>put the screens away entirely and really talk through a topic.

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<v Speaker 1>You can end a little early and then check all

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<v Speaker 1>of your other inputs. But the slow conversation might produce

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<v Speaker 1>more interesting results. You can also work slower in a

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<v Speaker 1>way by leaving space to revisit things. I know. I

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<v Speaker 1>always try to leave time to come back to the

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<v Speaker 1>things I write. When I write these scripts, for instance,

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<v Speaker 1>I write them, then I edit them, then I practice

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<v Speaker 1>speaking them out loud. That way, I can think through

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<v Speaker 1>the argument and also think if a word choice would

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<v Speaker 1>be better for material that is meant to be heard

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<v Speaker 1>rather than read silently. I know I generally work fast,

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<v Speaker 1>and I make no apologies for that. That's how I

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<v Speaker 1>get things done in a world where a kid could

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<v Speaker 1>come home from school sick, or a plumber could show

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<v Speaker 1>up to deal with the various problems in my home renovation.

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<v Speaker 1>But a bowing for let's say, a full hour on

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<v Speaker 1>something with no chosen interruptions can often feel quite leisurely

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<v Speaker 1>and luxurious. Feeling that work is luxurious is a decadent sensation. Indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>I enjoy it, and I'm guessing you will too. It will,

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<v Speaker 1>as Chris puts it, calm your mind, and that makes

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<v Speaker 1>life feel more doable. 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 E then Before 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 iHeartMedia dot com that Before

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<v Speaker 1>Breakfast 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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