1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Hi. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: I'm Laura Vanderkamp. I'm a mother of five, an author, journalist, 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: and speaker. 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 3: And I'm Sarah hart Hunger, a mother of three, practicing physician, 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 3: writer and course creator. We are two working parents who 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 3: love our careers and our families. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: Welcome to best of both worlds. Here we talk about 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: how real women manage work, family, and time for fun, 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: from figuring out childcare to mapping out long. 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Term career goals. 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: We want you to get the most out of life. 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to best of both worlds. This is Laura. 13 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: This episode is airing in mid to late January of 14 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five. We are going to be talking airtight 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: task management, which is a phrase that Sarah came up 16 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: with and refers to how we deal with all the 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: incoming to dos that we are often experiencing in life 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: life and making sure that things do not fall through 19 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 2: the cracks or I guess float out of our air 20 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 2: tight container, whatever the metaphor is implying here. So Sarah, 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: before we get to that, though, this is actually the 22 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 2: first episode we are recording in twenty twenty five because 23 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: we had to get ahead on a few things to 24 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: make sure that people could be off over the holidays, 25 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,279 Speaker 2: So why don't you give us a quick life update. 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 2: What's been going on for you. 27 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's been a great start to twenty twenty 28 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: five over all. I've already started back at work. I 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 3: will say I had a little bit of existential dread 30 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 3: about the backlog because I did take a full two 31 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 3: weeks off from clinical work, and then it turned out 32 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: to be like, not that bad. We had some people 33 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 3: that were kind of helping weed in boxes, which is 34 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 3: not actually typical for our practice, but they're starting to 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 3: do that, so a nurse practitioner was super helpful for me. 36 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 3: So anyway, got back rolling, felt pretty good. We had 37 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 3: a great trip to Montana. All three kids can now 38 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 3: go to Hill's like real greens with lifts unassisted. I mean, 39 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,559 Speaker 3: the other ditch big kids could do that for a while, 40 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 3: but Genevieve is new to being able to do that 41 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 3: without a lot of stress from the rest of us, 42 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 3: so that was super exciting. And then I was about 43 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 3: to head to Vegas, so this was supposed to be 44 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 3: Laura and I record and then I jump on a 45 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,399 Speaker 3: plane for my first big adventure of twenty twenty five, 46 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 3: which was going to be Annabel's first gymnastics meet, which 47 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 3: happened to be like a fun travel meet in Vegas. 48 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 3: This is not like national level competition. This is just like, oh, 49 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 3: the whole team goes like whoever wants to go. But 50 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 3: then she broke her finger, as one does. So yeah, 51 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 3: first pivot of the year happened so soon. 52 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: But I'm cool, So she's not going to Vegas. 53 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 3: Then she is not going. I am not going. She's 54 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,399 Speaker 3: not too disappointed. We have a lot of other fun 55 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 3: activities lined up for the weekend instead. And it turns 56 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 3: out she might only be out for three weeks. It 57 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 3: could be a little bit longer. But I mean, honestly, 58 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 3: for a fracture, to me, that's like shockingly shorts. Oh 59 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 3: maybe a best case scenario injury. 60 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 2: If a bone is getting broken, that's the way you 61 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: want it to go, right exactly. Yeah, Now it's been 62 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: kind of Christmas vacation was a lot of stuff. We 63 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: went to Barbados for a few days, left early on 64 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: the twenty six we were in the card about five 65 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 2: forty five ams, so Christmas morning we had opened everything, 66 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: had a relaxing few hours, and then I was frantically 67 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: packing everyone for our departure, but we made it to 68 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: Barbados without incident. 69 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: We stayed there for a couple of days. 70 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 2: I left on the twenty ninth and came back on 71 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: my own because I was singing in a performance of 72 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: the bach B Minor Mass, which was a longtime listeners 73 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: know on my bucket list for many, many years, and 74 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 2: I wanted to sing this piece. So the performance was 75 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: on the thirty first, but we had the dress rehearsal 76 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 2: on the thirtieth, and I didn't really think it would 77 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 2: be a good idea to miss that. 78 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: So I came back early. 79 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: Mike came back with all five children on his own 80 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: from Barbados, so great he was able to do that 81 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: with a minimal craziness as far as I know, you know. 82 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: And then we celebrated Henry's birthday. We had kind of 83 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: done that in Barbados a little bit, but you know, 84 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 2: we had to bring presents that would fit in the 85 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 2: carry on. So we had a birthday party at Chuck 86 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 2: E Cheese on the first weekend of January, as one does, 87 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 2: and it brought back memories because so it was Henry's 88 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 2: fifth birthday and Alex's fifth birthday was also at Chuck 89 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 2: E Cheese, albeit not that one. The one we went 90 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: to then was closer, but it later closed, so Henry 91 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: had actually been there. 92 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: For that one. He was not supposed to be. 93 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 2: We had scheduled Alex's birthday party for about January five 94 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 2: or so, which is enough before his birthday, and Henry 95 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: was due January twent second that I was like, Okay, well, 96 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 2: it'll be fine, we'll get this party done before he's 97 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 2: gonna arrive. And then Henry showed up at the end 98 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 2: of December. So we had a one week old for 99 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: this party in Chuck E Cheese five years ago. But 100 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 2: he's obviously grown and now is his own little five 101 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 2: year old. 102 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: Self who had a lot of fun. So yeah, lots 103 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: of it. 104 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 3: It comes full circle. I have to ask, was the 105 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 3: B Minor Mass all that you dreamed it would be. 106 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: It was really cool. 107 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're pivoting here from Chuck E Cheese to the 108 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: Bach B Minor Mass life is vast and contains multitudes. Yeah, 109 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 2: it was a lot of fun and the group is 110 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: amazing singers. It was just a wonderful thing to be 111 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: part of. I really enjoyed it. I was trying to 112 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 2: sort of savor the experience because I knew it was 113 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 2: gonna be over in two hours, and it's kind of 114 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 2: hard to do that because I'm of course still trying 115 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 2: to sing the piece, like making sure I'm not missing 116 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 2: any notes while I'm enjoying this experience. 117 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: But yeah, it was. It was great, and I'm so 118 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: glad that I did it. 119 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 3: That is so cool, especially because I knew it was 120 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 3: on your list for such a long time. 121 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: It's like, yes, yes, Zack. 122 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. As we've talked about with this, I mean a 123 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 2: list of one hundred dreams bucket list items. Some are 124 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: more doable on your own, like if you want to 125 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 2: go to Italy, it turns out that there are several 126 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: airlines who will sell you a ticket to get to Italy. 127 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 2: Like that you can do, whereas arranging to sing with 128 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 2: a choir and an orchestra in a performance venue is 129 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 2: a little bit harder to pull off on your own. 130 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: So I had to kind of plug into somebody else 131 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: that was making this happen, and I'm very glad. 132 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: That I did with Coral Arts Philadelphia. So that was 133 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. 134 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 3: Yay, I'm glad you did it all right? Well on 135 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 3: that I know this episode is not airing January first, 136 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 3: so maybe people aren't feeling as much New Year energy anymore. 137 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 3: But I'm hoping that many people have it lasting through 138 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 3: January a little bit. And that's I think what inspired 139 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 3: us to do kind of a systems focused episode, because 140 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 3: I've noticed that Laura and I have a few things 141 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 3: going on in our lives, but we're pretty good about 142 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 3: a not dropping the ball but B not Typically I 143 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 3: don't really ever see Laura giving me a lot of 144 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 3: stress about like, oh my god, I just feel like 145 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 3: I have so much and not like can't I can't 146 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 3: get my head around it or something like I don't 147 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: get that energy from you really ever. 148 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: Maybe I'm just ignoring things. 149 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 3: Well, that could be a thing, right as like plan 150 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 3: ignoring careless that is our first, our first tip. 151 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, this New Year episode well, and. 152 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 3: There may be something to waiting to care about things 153 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 3: until you truly need to. That I think both of 154 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 3: us are reasonably good at. But that I think links 155 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 3: back to understanding like priorities and what is actually time 156 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 3: sensitive and having a very clear understanding of what is 157 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: kind of on our plate overall, both in the short 158 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 3: term and the long term, and so that's kind of 159 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 3: what we're going to talk about today. And I'm kind 160 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 3: of proud of my term airtight task management. It's a 161 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 3: little tongue in cheek. I mean, nobody is going to 162 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 3: be perfect with any system that they have. I'm not 163 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 3: going to like share details, but Laura may have not 164 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 3: seen an adverquest come in that I had to. 165 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: It is possible to be fair. 166 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 2: It was like it in like December twenty three, all right, 167 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,559 Speaker 2: So that was non optimal in terms of like which 168 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 2: advertiser was actually working on December twenty three. 169 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm trying to figure this one out when I. 170 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 3: Had name names and I have on occasion had my 171 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 3: own lapses as well. So again, like nobody is perfect, 172 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 3: but we're aiming for something where we feel really confident 173 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 3: in our lists and it's not a source of stress 174 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 3: that we don't know what's going on, because I actually 175 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 3: think for many people this like vague unrest that there's 176 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 3: all this stuff out there but they don't actually know 177 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 3: how to categorize it or like what's urgent, and like 178 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 3: you know, like what's really there is sometimes more stressful 179 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 3: than the things themselves. And so if you build a 180 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 3: system where you feel like things are pretty darn air tight, 181 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 3: then you not only might actually get more done because 182 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 3: you kind of know the order in which to do 183 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 3: things and can put out fires, but the whole thing 184 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 3: feels a little bit better. So yeah, air tight task management. 185 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 2: I really like that phrase, thank you, because I think 186 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: being on top of things or not dropping balls. I mean, 187 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 2: these are all states that we are striving to achieve. 188 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 2: But this gets at the idea of how do you 189 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 2: know that things are not escaping your grasp that you 190 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: may decide not to deal with them, but it's not 191 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 2: that you didn't even know that they existed, and those 192 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 2: are different matters. So yeah, I love this phrase and 193 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 2: I'm going to use it widely and reference you. 194 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: Sarah. 195 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 3: Yay, okay, good. Actually, before we even dive into airtight 196 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 3: task management, we were going to do a brief mention 197 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 3: of any new systems that we're trying out in the 198 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 3: new year. Let's take a quick break before we do that, 199 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 3: and then we will share a couple of things we're 200 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 3: trying out. All right, we are back and we're going 201 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 3: to talk about tight task management today. But first, just 202 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 3: because it is a new year, I'm curious to see 203 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 3: if Laura has anything new that she is trying. I'm 204 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 3: not doing a lot of things that are new. I 205 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 3: feel like I have my system pretty much down. The 206 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 3: one thing that I'm doing that I so far is 207 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 3: working out really nicely is that I have a paper 208 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 3: monthly planner. It's pretty small, kind of paperback, so it 209 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 3: kind of could slip into my regular planner or just 210 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 3: fits easily in a bag where I am putting all 211 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 3: of my kind of content related calendar stuff. So it 212 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: just has monthly calendar layouts for each month, and then 213 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 3: there's also blank pages between each of them, which works 214 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 3: perfectly because I'll put like which best of both worlds 215 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 3: is coming out, of which best laid plans are coming out, 216 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 3: and I've even put like ideas for blog posts and 217 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 3: stuff like that. But also as Laura and I brainstorm 218 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: and come up with ideas, I can put them in 219 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 3: the pages between the months so that we don't lose 220 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 3: those things. Because I had been using Apple Notes for 221 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 3: a lot of that stuff, but it was sort of 222 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 3: like haphazard, like I'd start this note in that note, 223 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 3: or I'd have a note that said spring and realized 224 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 3: we were using it in October and it's like not 225 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 3: spring anymore. And so by having it sort of link 226 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 3: to the months of the calendar and being able to 227 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 3: visually see the topics, I just thought that would be 228 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 3: a fun way to do it. So, I mean, I'm 229 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 3: only like ten days in three days in well, no, 230 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 3: but I've actually planned out pretty much all of January's 231 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 3: podcast content on it and I like it. 232 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: Good. Good. 233 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. 234 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not really using any new systems this year. 235 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: I have my plum paper planner, which is what I 236 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 2: do my weekly planning in each week, usually on Thursday 237 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 2: or Friday. I look to the next week and outline 238 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 2: what are my major professional priorities for the upcoming week, 239 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: what are my major personal priorities. I will flip through 240 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 2: a week or two ahead just to make sure, But 241 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 2: most things in life can be dealt with within a 242 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 2: two to three week period, unless it's you know, huge 243 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 2: that you know is coming up, but that gives you 244 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 2: enough looking forward runway on that each day. My daily 245 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 2: to do list is in this little notebook. I do 246 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 2: not keep it in the plump paper for whatever reasons. 247 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 2: It's the plum papers too big, so to keep it open. 248 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 2: It's on the other side of the page. One might ask, 249 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 2: why don't you have a smaller planner than it is, 250 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 2: because I like having that big space for my weekly plan. 251 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 2: So anyway, I have a tiny notebook that I then 252 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 2: use for my daily to do list and any notes 253 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 2: that are coming up in the course of the day. 254 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 2: So if I was just talking with somebody on the phone, 255 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 2: I would probably actually keep my notes in that. And 256 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 2: you know, I have my calendar is as always the 257 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 2: weekly at a glance pocket sized calendar, and that is 258 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 2: where I put any time specific tasks or commitments that 259 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 2: are going on in my life. And that of course 260 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 2: is for the next twelve months, and I buy the 261 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 2: new one in July, so then I have the next 262 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 2: eighteen months starting in July, so that tends to be 263 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: enough to capture any thing that is coming up. I do, not, 264 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 2: in fact, have many time specific commitments for twenty twenty 265 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 2: seven yet. 266 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 1: So I don't need to worry about that. So yeah, 267 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: that's my system. 268 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 3: I like it, and I like the eighteen months does 269 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 3: make sense if you're going to be paper on calendar, 270 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 3: because I do get frustrated towards the end of every 271 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 3: calendar year when I'm like carrying around two books and 272 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 3: by having eighteen months and buying one every year, so 273 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 3: that you kind of love like a little overlap. That 274 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 3: would solve that problem very nicely. All right, So not 275 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,559 Speaker 3: a lot of new tools from Laura. Not a ton 276 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,439 Speaker 3: of new stuff for me either, but the content planner 277 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 3: is fun. And now we're going to pivot back to 278 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 3: our airtight task management discussion. So to me, we're going 279 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 3: to kind of like go back and forth in different 280 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 3: ways that we capture our tasks. But to me, air 281 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 3: type means number one, I've captured my tasks into a 282 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 3: system that I know I will look at regularly. So 283 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 3: it's a trusted system that has routines around it. That 284 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 3: I have captured all time sensitive items in a way 285 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 3: where I know I will see them with time to 286 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 3: get them done. So I haven't put like write a 287 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 3: book on like December thirtieth, where it's due on December 288 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 3: thirty first. That wouldn't work very well. I know where 289 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 3: all my tasks live, so like I have some kind 290 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 3: of systematic way of clearing out life's various inboxes. Because 291 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 3: the truth is tasks come to us. They're actually numerous channels. 292 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 3: A lot of them come through email. Sometimes they come 293 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 3: through a phone calls. Sometimes they come through a What's 294 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 3: Up chat, Sometimes they come from your random sports team apps, 295 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 3: sometimes they come from someone just asking you a favorite work. 296 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 3: So you have to kind of be conscious of where 297 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 3: they may be accumulating without your saying okay, and have 298 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 3: systems for looking at those things regularly. So to me, 299 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 3: that's sort of like the trifecta. You've captured them all 300 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 3: in the system. You know you'll look at you have 301 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 3: some way of dealing with time sensitive, and then you 302 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 3: have systems for clearing things out. And I know that 303 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: this does like stress people out a lot, because I 304 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 3: think in Best La Plans Academy, like that's the number 305 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: one thing people kind of fixate on their inbox or 306 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 3: like feeling like they don't know what to do first, 307 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 3: or like how to select their activities for the day. 308 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 3: And I think a lot of that comes down to 309 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 3: these systems. How about you, Like, how do you think 310 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 3: about making sure that you're very clear on what you 311 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 3: have going on? 312 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: Yeah? 313 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 2: Well, the weekly priority list is kind of the bread 314 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 2: and butter of this, and when I am making that 315 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 2: for the upcoming week, I tend to look at what 316 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 2: I know is going on sort of an ongoing list 317 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 2: of projects. If I look at my calendar for the 318 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 2: next two weeks and if there's anything time sensitive and 319 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 2: a time commitment, I would have written it on there 320 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 2: when it came in, I guess, because these are all 321 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 2: interlocking things. I mean, so I'm trying to figure out, 322 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 2: like what is the order of it, so I could 323 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 2: make a list for it, because it's just ongoing, right. 324 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 2: But if tasks are coming in via email, I process 325 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 2: to current every couple of days. If something we're truly urgent, 326 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 2: like this book review is running in the Wall Street 327 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 2: Journal tomorrow, we need. 328 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: You to answer that question, I would do it right then. 329 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: But if it's that we need this in seventy two hours, 330 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 2: that would probably go on my daily to do list 331 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 2: or on my weekly priority list. Update that as it's 332 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 2: going on. A lot of stuff does come in and email, 333 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 2: and I try to convert anything that has not come 334 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 2: in as email into email by emailing to myself. Right, 335 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 2: So this is a very simple way if you are 336 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 2: the sort of person who processes your primary inbox to current, 337 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 2: which I'm guessing that probably ninety percent of the people 338 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 2: listening to this are otherwise you would not be into 339 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 2: this podcast at all. 340 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: You would see it. 341 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 2: So I'm out and about and a friends, you know, 342 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 2: one of my kids friends mom says, can we do 343 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 2: a play date next week? 344 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: And I'm like, I think so, let me just check 345 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: the calendar. I'll get back to you. 346 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 2: I'm going to email that to myself, right and so 347 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 2: then the next time I'm sitting down at my desk 348 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: and processing email to Current, I will see it, I. 349 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: Will act on it, and it will wind up on 350 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: the calendar. 351 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 3: Yes, I love that, I think, especially if you know 352 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 3: that you kind of do your weekly review at its 353 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 3: email center. Then funneling stuff to email works really well. 354 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 3: I do that with text requests sometimes too, or as 355 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: you said, like an on the fly thing that just 356 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 3: comes up. I know I'm not gonna remember it, and 357 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 3: it is stressful to try to hold that kind of 358 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 3: thing in your head. So you got to put it 359 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 3: somewhere that you know you will see it. And then 360 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 3: it sounds like as you are processing your emails a 361 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 3: Current and you don't delete it, but like it's almost 362 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 3: like you might as well be archiving. 363 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: You just don't. 364 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 3: You're like going through each thing. Then your stuff makes 365 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 3: its way onto various task lists. 366 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 367 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, and if I'm not going to do anything with it, 368 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 2: I either delete it or leave it right. And I'm 369 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: not saying because you don't actually have to deal with 370 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: everything that comes to you if some things are completely unsolicited. 371 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:40,439 Speaker 2: So that's something for people to keep in mind as well. 372 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 2: But yeah, if it is something that I do feel 373 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 2: some obligation to act on, then I will process it 374 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 2: during that time. 375 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 3: That makes sense. Yeah, I feel like my triage is like, 376 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 3: if it's totally urgent, then yes, deal with it immediately. 377 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 3: And I actually think one thing to lower your stress 378 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 3: is to make sure you don't look at in boxes 379 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 3: during times where you wouldn't be able to do anything 380 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:04,360 Speaker 3: like don't check your email between patients or something like that. 381 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 3: If you're like gonna get some oh my god, you 382 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 3: have to fix this at Like I mean, especially me, 383 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 3: who kind of like operates in two worlds, I just 384 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: sort of need to like not look at it until 385 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 3: I'm sitting down and ready to deal with it. That 386 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 3: doesn't mean I'm not looking at it every day or 387 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 3: multiple times a day. But I think a lot of 388 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 3: us who are like dopamine seekers, we just like especially 389 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 3: I've gotten rid of social media, so like what's left 390 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 3: to check on my phone? It's email, so I have 391 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 3: to like resist the urds to check it if I 392 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 3: won't be able to. 393 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: Deal with it. 394 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,239 Speaker 3: So that means that hopefully when I'm checking it, if 395 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 3: it's urgent, I can deal with it immediately. And then 396 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 3: I think you're similar with this. I either assign it 397 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 3: to a specific day, so I'll go on my planner 398 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 3: and I'll be like, looks like that needs to be 399 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 3: that ads due on Friday and I'm free on Wednesday, whatever, 400 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 3: I'm going to sign it right then and there. Or 401 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 3: if it's like okay, that's a bigger task and like 402 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 3: it's this week or it's next week, I'll assign it 403 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 3: to a specific week. For me, that's very easy to 404 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 3: do on paper because I just use my the like 405 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 3: weekly layout in my planner and on the left there 406 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 3: is a column for tasks. This is a little harder 407 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 3: to do digitally, but it could also be done because 408 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 3: you could have like a list in Google's task that's 409 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 3: this week, and then a list that's next week and 410 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 3: maybe weeklus two and kind of change those dates around 411 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 3: if you wanted to put the specific dates on there. 412 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 3: But so I'll assign stuff to a specific week. And 413 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,880 Speaker 3: the key is that I know every single day I'm 414 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 3: going to look at both of those places. Like I'm 415 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 3: always going to look at the day in the morning, 416 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 3: that's just part of my routine, and as I plan 417 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,400 Speaker 3: my day, I'm always looking at the list for the week. 418 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 3: So that's where the air type comes in, Like I'm 419 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 3: writting it down and I'm not going to not see it. 420 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,360 Speaker 3: I'm always going to be pinned in time to deal 421 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 3: with it. And then well we can talk about more 422 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 3: like vague later types of tasks. But yeah, is that 423 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 3: kind of similar to how you would deal with anything 424 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 3: urgent or sort of time sensitive. 425 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well so long term, longer term stuff. Yeah, I 426 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 2: think this is where people get. I mean, obviously, something 427 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: you have to do today, you have a hopefully system 428 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 2: for dealing with that today. But if something's like, okay, 429 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: you know this is going to be due February twelve, 430 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 2: I would of course write it on my calendar for 431 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 2: February twenty eight, but I tend to write it also 432 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,959 Speaker 2: just on the top of the calendar for the week before, 433 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 2: and that's just to remind myself that it will be 434 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 2: coming up, so I don't only see it if it's 435 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 2: bigger on the Thursday or Friday before it is happening. 436 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: And that is especially important if the date that it 437 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: is going to be needing to be dealt with is 438 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 2: a Monday or Tuesday, because if I'm planning on Thursday 439 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 2: or Friday, I will not see it until a couple 440 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 2: days before. And if it's something that's going to require 441 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 2: more than two work days to deal with, that would 442 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 2: be a problem. So I will tend to give myself 443 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 2: a nudge the week before so it's in my active 444 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 2: mental space to deal with it. 445 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 3: Now. 446 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 2: For stuff that does not have a times obvious deadline, 447 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 2: but it is something I don't want to lose from 448 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 2: my mental space, I will just write it for a 449 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: random week in the future on the calendar, and then 450 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,640 Speaker 2: when I get there and get close, I will see 451 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 2: it and I will be like, oh, yes, I should 452 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 2: think about that, and I will either do it or 453 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 2: not do it right, Like you know, future Laura has 454 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:17,679 Speaker 2: agency over whether she acts on whatever past Laura decided 455 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 2: to assign her. But that's where I put stuff like 456 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 2: early October professional Christmas lights right, because it turns out 457 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 2: that if you call them in late November when you 458 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 2: see other people's lights, they are booked. So if you 459 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 2: would like to book them, you need to book it 460 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 2: earlier than that. But of course you're not thinking about 461 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 2: Christmas lights in early October, so you have to do 462 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 2: something in order to think about Christmas lights in early October, 463 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 2: which is to put in this nudge. And there's some 464 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 2: funny things with this system, because there's like this book 465 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 2: I want to read, and I only know of it 466 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,199 Speaker 2: because I saw that there was a deal done for 467 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 2: this book to exist. So I have no idea how 468 00:21:58,240 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 2: long this writer is going to take to write it, 469 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 2: but it's going to get published. So I just put 470 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,360 Speaker 2: like a date a year forward to look and see 471 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 2: if it was out. It was not out, so I 472 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 2: had to put it again another like six months forward 473 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 2: to see if it was out. Like, who knows how 474 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 2: long this thing was going to get kicked down the road, 475 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 2: but I haven't forgotten it. 476 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: That's aout. 477 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 3: You're probably the only one who's like, hey, this person's 478 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 3: taking longer than they should to write this work. 479 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: Maybe no better than this editor. 480 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 2: How long it has taken for this writer to get 481 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 2: this stupid book in that is awesome. 482 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love that. And again, the key is that 483 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 3: you know you're going to look at that like it's 484 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 3: not in some random paper notebook on the shelf that 485 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 3: like you might feel like pulling out every once in 486 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 3: a while. It's like in your calendar that you look 487 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 3: at every single day. I think that's key because people 488 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 3: feel time. 489 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not looking at that thing every single 490 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 2: day like that. That thing only comes up every six 491 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 2: to twelve months, right, but cued it down the road, right, Yeah. 492 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 3: That tool you're looking at every day, so you know that, 493 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 3: like when August twenty four, twenty five comes up, like 494 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 3: you're going to see it. 495 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 2: So I'll see it perfect unless I lose the calendar. 496 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 2: But I tend to be careful with that, which is 497 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 2: a problem with Patroreak. Yeah, I mean that is with 498 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 2: there is as we're going for airtight task management. Obviously, 499 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 2: paper is not in and of itself air tight. I 500 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 2: try not to lose things. I have lost things. I 501 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 2: am human what I tend to do though, if I 502 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 2: am traveling, and so therefore there is a higher risk 503 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 2: that I might lose my paper calendar that I'm taking 504 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 2: with me. 505 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: I take photos of the next six weeks. So I 506 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: have that. 507 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, I like it. Planner insurance. 508 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, planner insurance. 509 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 2: I don't forget about the thing that happened six months 510 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 2: from now. But I figure, you know, if I did 511 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 2: lose it in six weeks, I could try to recreate 512 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:35,959 Speaker 2: a lot of the stuff. 513 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 3: That's impressive. I have not lost a planner yet. No, 514 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 3: I'm finxing myself. I just feel like I'm like, I 515 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 3: use it so often. Yeah, it's like your phone, Like 516 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 3: it's a little bit hard to lose. 517 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 2: I did once, so I had, you know, but back 518 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 2: in the day, and it's literally like thirteen fourteen years 519 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 2: ago now, but I something went wrong in the course 520 00:23:56,119 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 2: of getting in a bus to get to Lax. 521 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: And it was gone. 522 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 2: It was gone, and I had to reconstruct everything. And 523 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 2: so I've just been more careful about it since. 524 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 3: That makes sense, all right, So that's where you put 525 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 3: your some of your long term goals. We'll talk about 526 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,399 Speaker 3: other long term goals in a second. But yeah, like 527 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 3: so like I guess, yeah, nebulous goals that you're like, 528 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 3: this could be fun. Do they always go to a 529 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 3: specific date or do you have you have a hundred 530 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 3: dreams list. For me, I have like a Sunday maybe 531 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 3: list that's good for those really one off like and 532 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 3: it's filled with really random stuff now because it's just 533 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 3: sort of like stuff that I truly don't really know, 534 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 3: but I don't want to forget about, and then I 535 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 3: weed through it every once in a while, which I 536 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 3: think is key. You don't want to just build up forever. 537 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 3: I mean, at some point you might just decide that ideas. 538 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: Not needed anymore. 539 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 3: But having some kind of catch all for totally time 540 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 3: like not ready to schedule in any concrete way types 541 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 3: of things I think can be useful. Do you have 542 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 3: your equivalent or do you use your hundred dreams list 543 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 3: for that? 544 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't really use the hundred dream because the 545 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 2: hundred dreams list is more sort of aspirational stuff like okay, 546 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 2: more fun thing, I guess, And a lot of the 547 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 2: to do's that I'm not ready to schedule yet or 548 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 2: commit to a time to doing them, but I do 549 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 2: need to think about them in the next few weeks. 550 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 2: I will just I do sometimes maintain a running list 551 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 2: of those tasks. And actually, here's another thing which I'm 552 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 2: not sure if where this fits in, but in the 553 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 2: course of a week, as random tasks come up, because 554 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 2: I don't want them necessarily to pollute all my time, 555 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,199 Speaker 2: like thinking that I need to deal with them. I 556 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 2: maintain what I call a Friday punch list, which is 557 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 2: all those little tasks that I need to get to, 558 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 2: but I'm going to do them in like a two 559 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 2: hour sprint on Friday. So I'm not pulling myself away 560 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 2: from say, writing a chapter in a book because I'm like, 561 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 2: I have all these permission slips to fill out. 562 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: It's like, no, no, no, I'm going to do those on Friday. 563 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 3: I like it. So you corral the kind of like 564 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 3: little annoying things. I don't have a practice like that. 565 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 3: I would have all of mine on my weekly list. 566 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 3: I just wouldn't do them in like I wouldn't pull 567 00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 3: them off until Friday. But I can see the comp 568 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 3: in kind of being like, we don't do this today, 569 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 3: we do this during our Friday time. 570 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:05,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know. 571 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: I think mental space is valuable, but sort of the 572 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 2: longer list it has stuff like schedule all the kids 573 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 2: pediatrician appointments, right, like this is going to be a 574 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 2: painful thing to do, and I don't really want to 575 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 2: do it, but I do need to do it at 576 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 2: some point in the next couple weeks, so it's on 577 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 2: the list things like that. 578 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, I don't even have one like that. I 579 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 3: don't know how I get on. Everything's on the week, 580 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 3: everything's to a week. Okay, yeah, I probably will not 581 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 3: do it next week, but yes, I can see the 582 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 3: comfort in like feeling you have it carrolled somewhere. So 583 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 3: as you hear there's variations on their theme, there is 584 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 3: not one way to be airtight. I think the key 585 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 3: again is like having these rituals, defining them to yourself, 586 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 3: and using like tools that you're going to look at. 587 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 3: Often those are the mean recurring themes, even though you 588 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 3: can hear that Laura and I do it differently. We're 589 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 3: going to take one more break and then a little 590 00:26:50,480 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 3: bit more on tasks and our quani. All right, we 591 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 3: are back, and I guess I just wanted to have 592 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 3: a brief discussion of digital versus paper. So we already 593 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 3: talked about the downside of paper being that you can 594 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 3: lose it, which is tough. I also think sometimes people 595 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 3: are at tempted to swap paper tools often and I 596 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 3: do with that sometimes if you have a master calendar 597 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 3: type tool, you just had to be very careful if 598 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 3: and when you are going to swap it. Because any 599 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 3: kind of like daily notebook you can swap no problem. 600 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 3: But something that's got long term running stuff, it's a process, 601 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 3: so do it with care. And then I have to 602 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 3: say digital can be great. I have friends that are 603 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 3: everything's in Google or everything's in Microsoft. There's also some 604 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,120 Speaker 3: beautiful planner like apps out there, like Artful Agenda, which 605 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 3: will pull your Google calendar into a planner looking spread 606 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 3: that you can use on your laptop or your iPad. 607 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 3: That's super cool. But if you find the digital stuff overwhelming, 608 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 3: don't feel like you need to go digital, because I yes, 609 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 3: I just feel like there's this trope that like people 610 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 3: with real busy lives can only plan through apps, and 611 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 3: we're really busy, you guys like we don't and we 612 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 3: don't use them. And again not saying they're bad. I 613 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 3: actually think there's some really wonderful things about them and 614 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 3: some great tools. I just don't think they're mandatory. 615 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, the one thing that I think gets 616 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 2: people tripped up with that is that if you're part 617 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 2: of a corporate or larger organization. Your calendar is digital, 618 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 2: and I don't have to do that because Vanderkam Inc. 619 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 2: Can exist on paper, and you know, everyone else who 620 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 2: deals with me then just knows to deal with that. 621 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 2: But sometimes I get meeting requests and I'm like, that's funny. 622 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 2: I wonder where that went. Somewhere. There's a digital calendar 623 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 2: for Laura somewhere that I never look at because I 624 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: have it written on my paper calendar. But anyway, you know, 625 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 2: if you have that, then people are like, well, but 626 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 2: then I would keep paper. But how do I know 627 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 2: that I didn't have this at work at this time 628 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 2: that I'm also trying to schedule a kid's thing, you know, 629 00:28:57,640 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 2: And I get it. That's really hard, and so then 630 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 2: people wind up with bad systems sometimes because they don't 631 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 2: want to put all their personal stuff on their work 632 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 2: calendar because then their colleagues can see it. But they 633 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 2: don't want to try to maintain two air tight calendars. 634 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: I understand. It's hard. It's hard. 635 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 3: It's hard. I feel like some people get around it 636 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 3: by at least just blocking the hours that they work 637 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 3: either on paper or on another digital calendar that they 638 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 3: use kind of as their own even if they can't 639 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 3: import their actual work calendar due to security stuff. Yeah, 640 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 3: or they put all their home stuff on their work 641 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 3: but they're vague, but yeah, it is tough if others 642 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 3: can see that and they don't want it seeing. Or 643 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:41,959 Speaker 3: there's some people that do some interesting hybrids, like if 644 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 3: their their work is digital, but they print their calendar 645 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 3: out every week and actually like jot down their own 646 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 3: stuff that's going to fit around the work stuff. So 647 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 3: there are sort of like different hacks you can use. 648 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 3: But yeah, that can be challenging if your work generally 649 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 3: tends to always be like eight thirty to six or 650 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 3: something like that. Though, then from a calendar standpoint, you 651 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,479 Speaker 3: could kind of be in two different worlds. Like you 652 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 3: just if you have a working method's outside of those hours, fine, 653 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 3: it goes into you make some representation of it on 654 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 3: your personal calendar, and then otherwise you assume that during 655 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 3: those hours you look at your outlook and then of 656 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 3: the rest of the time you can look at your 657 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 3: other tools. Yeah. Yeah, all right, well that's I think 658 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 3: that's most of what I had. Not going crazy with 659 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 3: overly detailed scheduling of task. I think as a trap 660 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 3: people get into like they get excited about their systems, 661 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 3: so they're going to have a task at every every 662 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 3: fifteen minute interval or like be like overly granular about 663 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 3: how they'll do things. I don't think either of us 664 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 3: tend to map out our entire day task by task 665 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 3: most days, correct, Yeah, if. 666 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 2: It's a really busy day, I will because I want 667 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 2: to make sure that I am using any chunk of 668 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 2: time that is not spoken for for something that needs 669 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,239 Speaker 2: geet done, as opposed to just kind of losing it 670 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 2: into inbox management or something like that. But I just 671 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 2: want to add one more thing with the weekly priority list, 672 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 2: because what also makes this airtight is that if it 673 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 2: goes on the priority list, it is getting done or 674 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 2: it is actively being assigned to another spot. 675 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: Like we don't put anything on. 676 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 2: The priority list that I don't intend to do or 677 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 2: that you know, it's like maybe this will happen, maybe 678 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 2: it won't. If it's on the priority list, it's I've 679 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 2: decided to do it that week, and if for some reason, 680 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 2: which is rare, it isn't happening, then it will be 681 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 2: actively assigned to another time. And the same with the 682 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 2: daily to do list. Actually for me to do means today. 683 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 2: So the process of creating the to do list is 684 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 2: actually a choice over these. 685 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: Are the things I'm going to do today. 686 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,720 Speaker 2: Now, you know, people are like, well, life happens, stuff 687 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 2: comes up absolutely, which is why they're always short, right, Like, 688 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,719 Speaker 2: you don't want to over assign yourself stuff. So that's 689 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 2: one reason to keep a list or future count of 690 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 2: other things you want to deal with eventually. Because if 691 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:54,959 Speaker 2: it is a great week and nobody gets sick and 692 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: you know, there's no snow days and like you were 693 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 2: cranking along on stuff and got it all done, you 694 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 2: can go pick other stuff and pull that from the 695 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 2: future and get it done this week. But if life, 696 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 2: you know, has the normal amount of ridiculousness that happens, 697 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 2: like at least you know that everything did get done. 698 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: It's kind of a contract with yourself. 699 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 3: Yeah. I have a philosophical difference, but a practical sameness 700 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 3: to what you just said, which is that on my 701 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 3: weekly list on that left, I don't expect to do 702 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 3: everything in most weeks, I expect to do like a 703 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 3: lot of stuff. But what you mentioned is key. I 704 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 3: don't just leave the unchecked task there to like whither 705 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 3: away and like never happen. Part of my planning process 706 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 3: for the next week is always to either migrate or 707 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 3: purposefully abandoned. So I'm either I actually have a symbol 708 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 3: that I use. Instead of checking it off or exing 709 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 3: it off, I put a horizontal line through it. That 710 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 3: means I've migrated it to somewhere else. If I'm not 711 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 3: doing it at all, I put it X through the 712 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 3: A line through the whole thing. But so if I've migrated, 713 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 3: then great, I've already assigned it to the next week. 714 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 3: I'm not losing that thing. And that goes for the 715 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 3: day as well. That's like the first step in my 716 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 3: daily planning is look at the day before. What didn't happen? 717 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 3: Do I need to migrate it to today? Or am 718 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 3: I letting it go? So you're absolutely right. I think 719 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 3: you can decide whether or not you want to feel 720 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 3: like everything needs to get done in a timeframe or 721 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 3: whether you have more of a okay, this would be 722 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 3: nice to get done during this week kind of a mindset. Again, 723 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 3: addressing that flexibility that like this might be a crazy week, 724 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 3: this might not be. I can't necessarily predict it. But 725 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 3: the key is that you cannot let yourself leave things there, Yeah, 726 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 3: like they. 727 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: Will need to me. 728 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 2: It's also about not over committing yourself for the week, right, 729 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 2: And I think if people have a sort of you know, 730 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 2: have these ongoing like there's all sorts of to do list, 731 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 2: ten sends I see and people you know they're to 732 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 2: do list, They're like a by to do list is 733 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 2: forty three pages long. 734 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's not a to do list. That might 735 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: be a life list. 736 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 3: Of any ideas anything you want to do. 737 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: But that has you can't use that like a to 738 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 2: do list. Again, that's why we say to do means today. 739 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 2: So of that forty three pages, what are you actually 740 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 2: committing to get done by the time you fall asleep tonight? 741 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 2: And knowing that that is only x number of hours, 742 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 2: the tasks that you choose have to fit within those 743 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 2: number of hours, given that life will happen. And so 744 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 2: I think that winnowing process is incredibly important for people 745 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 2: to build into their lives and. 746 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 3: It helps you prioritize, right, because if you have forty 747 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 3: three things and you're like, oh, it's fine, I'll get 748 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 3: two percent on my list done, which is not my philosophy. 749 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 3: Mine's more like, okay, eighty percent is great, then you're 750 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:19,359 Speaker 3: always going to pick the two easiest things and you're 751 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 3: never going to move forward on the tough things. So 752 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 3: by choosing fewer items, you are also consciously persolutely. 753 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: All right, Well, let's pivot now to our Q and A. 754 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 2: So, Sarah, this is somewhat related about our airtight task 755 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 2: management such as it is. How do you, guys keep 756 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 2: track of the questions that come in? Do you always 757 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 2: answer them the month they arrive? If questions come into 758 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 2: Best of Both Worlds, which, by the way, just a reminder, 759 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 2: you can always email me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com, 760 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:48,760 Speaker 2: or you post them on either of our blogs. 761 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: So, Sarah, what do we do with them? Yeah? 762 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 3: So I dump them into Apple Notes, which is my 763 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 3: kind of like second brain for various podcasting things, as 764 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 3: I talked about. Sometimes we'll start a table for the 765 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 3: spring episodes and it goes all the way to a fall. 766 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 3: But either way, it's a useful tool. It's searchable, it's 767 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 3: easy to clean up at archives. So I will make 768 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,279 Speaker 3: a page that's like, right now, there's a page. I 769 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 3: think it says like Q one BOBW questions and as 770 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 3: they come in or as even if Laura fords to me, 771 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 3: I just copy and paste him in there and that way, 772 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 3: when it's time for us to do episodes, I just 773 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 3: see what we have collecting, which means that sometimes we 774 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 3: get a little behind and we are answering questions a 775 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 3: few months in or maybe like a question sits there 776 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 3: until we're like, ooh, that goes really well with that 777 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,680 Speaker 3: episode and we're going to use it. So we love 778 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 3: your questions. You should send them to us. And Laura's 779 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 3: really good at responding in a timely manner. I'm good 780 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 3: at responding eventually, and yeah, you will hear from us, 781 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 3: and we might answer your question on the show. We 782 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,399 Speaker 3: probably will. It just might not be like that month. 783 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: All right, sounds good? 784 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 2: All right, So, Sarah Love of the Week, what are 785 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 2: you excited about right now? 786 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 3: Since I complain all summer, I feel like I just 787 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 3: need to say we're having like the best cold snap 788 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 3: it's like, and I think it's affecting other areas of 789 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 3: country too, which might not be such a positive, but 790 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,360 Speaker 3: here that means there have been like I went running 791 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 3: this morning and I had to wear jacket like it 792 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:13,320 Speaker 3: was in the forties South Florida, like that's a special experience. 793 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 3: So I feel really lucky that we get to enjoy 794 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 3: nice weather for several months during winter. 795 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 2: Well, i'll do weather related in general. Our weather in Winterest. 796 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 2: It's like, it's so cold right now. I have that 797 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 2: same cold snap that's forty degrees there, it's like seven 798 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 2: degrees here. It's not very fun. That said, we had 799 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 2: snow earlier this week and it was pretty. It was 800 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 2: not enough to really well, the kids were out of school, 801 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,839 Speaker 2: but it was somewhat ridiculous, like I'm pretty sure they 802 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 2: could have gone to school. But the good news of 803 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 2: that is that our nanny could actually get here quite 804 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 2: easily because it was only like an inch or two 805 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 2: and so the roads were clear by like eight am. 806 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 2: But you know, so they could just play in it 807 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 2: a little bit and it was pretty to look at. 808 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:01,719 Speaker 2: But it wasn't so terrible that nobody could go anywhere, 809 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 2: and you know, you have to hunker down and can't 810 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 2: go outside for days or anything like that. So a 811 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,520 Speaker 2: light dusting of snow is my love of the week. 812 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 2: It sounds so pretty. 813 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 3: I love it. 814 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, this has been best of both worlds. We've 815 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 2: been talking airtight task management. We will be back next 816 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 2: week with more on making work and life fit together. 817 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening. You can find me Sarah at the 818 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,839 Speaker 3: shoebox dot com or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, 819 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 3: and you. 820 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: Can find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. This 821 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 1: has been the best of both worlds podcasts. 822 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 2: Please join us next time for more on making work 823 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:41,760 Speaker 2: and life work together.