1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: tip is to just put in the time, even if 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: you don't know exactly what you will do in a 5 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: chunk of time devoted to a long term project. Making 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: space for that project frequently keeps your mind on that project, 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: and that increases the chances that you will keep making progress. 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: So I love writing books. Books also take a long 9 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: time to write. They are planned out long ahead of time, 10 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: and publication often happens about a year after the initial 11 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: manuscript is finished. But time keeps passing, and for most 12 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: long term projects it pays to start early. So lately 13 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: I have been making space on my calendar regularly for 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: two things. One is figuring out promotion strategies for my 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: next book, currently called Big Time, which will be out 16 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: in spring of twenty twenty six. I block out time 17 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: on my calendar to figure out who I'd like to 18 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: reach out to or what promotional materials I can create. 19 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: The second is to work on writing my next book, 20 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: currently called The Golden Hours, that won't be out until 21 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: twenty twenty seven, but I will need to write it eventually, 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: so I make some time on my calendar now to 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: think about ideas and what I might like to include. 24 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: There is nothing specific I need to do right now 25 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,199 Speaker 1: for either of those long term projects. Lots of things 26 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: can change between now and when the deadlines will become 27 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: more urgent. But here's the thing. By continuing to carve 28 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: out time in my schedule for these projects, I keep 29 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: thinking about them. I know that a few times a 30 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: week I will be sitting down at my and making 31 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: notes about the golden hours, so my brain is primed 32 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: to come up with things I might like to include. 33 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: I see things and make notes to write about them 34 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: during my next session. I know that the longer I 35 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: spend thinking about the book and making notes for it, 36 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: the better it will be when it is finally done. 37 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: For longer projects, it really is best to just put 38 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: in the time over the long haul. This is truly 39 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: the crux of spending time on things that are important 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: but not urgent. There is nothing urgent about a book 41 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: that comes out in two and a half years, but 42 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: I want to do a good job on it, so 43 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: it is worth spending time now on it, and spending 44 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: time next week and so on. In time I will 45 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: come to see things that I couldn't at the beginning. 46 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: If you've got a long term project, I think it's 47 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: worth it for you to just put in the time two. 48 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 1: Are there other things you could be doing with that time. Absolutely, 49 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: But one of the best reasons to plan your weeks 50 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: before you are in them is so you can make 51 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: space for the things you have to do now and 52 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: make space for the unexpected and things you'd like to 53 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: do over the longer term. That way, the unexpected doesn't 54 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: derail the longer term priorities. Your week accounts for it all. Now. 55 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: You probably don't have to carve out a ton of 56 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: time because I don't have much specific yet on either 57 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: of these projects. These tend to be thirty minute chunks 58 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: a few times a week. When I'm really in the 59 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: writing phase of the next manuscript, I'll make much more 60 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: time for it. Right now, I'm just making sure I 61 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: keep touching the projects, looking at them, kicking the tires 62 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: a bit. Thirty minutes is enough time to keep things fresh, 63 00:03:55,040 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: so it's worth a try. In the meantime, this is Laura. 64 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 65 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 66 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 67 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 68 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 69 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 70 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.