1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to batch your weekend chores so you 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: can enjoy your days off guilt free. After years of 5 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: writing and talking about time management, I've realized that I 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: hear some of the same complaints over and over again. 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: At work, people lament that they spend so much time 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: dealing with their inboxes that they never have time for 9 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: deep work or strategic thinking. At home, people feel like 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: they spend their entire weekends trying to get caught up 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: with chores, and so they never have time for fun. 12 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: While these complaints seem different, I eventually realized that they 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: were getting at the exact same issue. Some activities expand 14 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: to fill all available space, and just as you will 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: never get and stay at inbox zero, you will never 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: arrive at a perfectly clean house that won't then fall 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: prey to toys, junk mail, and dirty dishes. Email and 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: housework will both take any amount of time you give them. 19 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: That means that any hacks designed to less an impact 20 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: are going to be of limited use. And yes, you 21 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,839 Speaker 1: can write shorter emails. He probably should you could even 22 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: write k instead of okay in your emails. And yes, 23 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: you can develop a system for emptying the dishwasher that 24 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: makes it take five minutes instead of seven minutes. Awesome, 25 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: But fundamentally, the only way to make these activities take 26 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: less time is to choose to give them less time. 27 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,639 Speaker 1: The good news, though, is that this approach does work. 28 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: When I've managed to convince people to limit themselves to 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: three to four email checks per day done at certain times, 30 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: they do, in fact spend less time on email. And 31 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 1: I think chores are best approached the same way. Batch 32 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: them and designate certain times when chores aren't always options. 33 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Then you can enjoy the rest of your time without 34 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: feeling guilty. Here's how this can work. Spend some time 35 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: to day thinking about the chores and errands you normally 36 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: do over the weekend. Be judicious what truly needs to 37 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: happen and what's not critical. Well, you might need clean 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: clothes for the week, you probably don't need to wax 39 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: your floors, while you might need to go grocery shopping. 40 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: You don't need to cook all your meals for the 41 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: week ahead of time. Choose to make simpler meals that 42 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: you can whip up in fifteen to twenty minutes on 43 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: weeknights instead, Now estimate how long these tasks will take 44 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: and what can overlap if all household members participate, how 45 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: much time would it take to get through these things. 46 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: Perhaps one party could switch clothes from the washings of 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: the dryer and run the vacuum, while someone else goes 48 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: to the grocery store and drops off the dry cleaning. 49 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: Once you've figured out a rough window, designate a block 50 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: of time in which you will do almost all of 51 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 1: these things. For instance, maybe you decide that from ten 52 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: to twelve on Saturday morning you will do the bulk 53 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: of these weekend activities. Make sure this is a time 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: everyone can participate. Make a game plan, then assess what 55 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: things will need to happen outside the window. Ideally not 56 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: too much. If you've got a reasonably sized family, You'll 57 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: still need to do some dishes and empty the dishwasher 58 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: on Sunday, even if Saturday from ten to twelve is 59 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: the official chores and Errand's time, And perhaps the laundry 60 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: that was washed Saturday during this window is still in 61 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: the dryer outside the window and might need to be 62 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: put away. But make sure to prevent scope creep. If 63 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: one party is assigned to pick up and vacuum the 64 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: basement playroom from ten to twelve on Saturday, and this 65 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: is in fact done, then do not go redo it 66 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: on Sunday just because there are toys out. Of course, 67 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: there are toys out. It's a playroom. That's what happens. 68 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: But so what. No one is going to come around 69 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: at eleven p m. Sunday night to give you demerits 70 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: for having toys on the floor, So just let it 71 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: be and relax and have a glass of wine instead. 72 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: There was a time for picking up the playroom, and 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: now is not that time. If you start thinking this way, 74 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: I promise your weekends will start feeling much better. Do 75 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: you designate a time for weekend chores? If so, I'd 76 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: love to hear about it. You can email me at 77 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com. In the meantime, 78 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 79 00:04:52,240 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: the most of our time. 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