1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: tip is that if there is something important you need 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: or want to do, don't count on remembering it. Pick 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: a time and plan it into your schedule instead. Over 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: the past few months, I have run several challenges where 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: I have people try out different strategies that can hopefully 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: help make their days more enjoyable. I often share the 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: strategy and then have people brainstorm how they will build 10 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: it into their lives. I ask people to anticipate any 11 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: challenges they might have with the strategy. Then after a 12 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: week or so, I ask whether they faced any challenges 13 00:00:55,720 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: in implementation. Inevitably, one of the most anticipated and experienced 14 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: challenges is actually remembering the strategy. Now, I get that 15 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: change is hard. So much of our time unfolds habitually, 16 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: and it is hard to build a new habit when 17 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: existing habits and routines are ingrained. Most of my listeners 18 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: lead really full lives, which makes it even harder to 19 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: do something new. Some challenges are truly difficult and require 20 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,639 Speaker 1: getting a partner's buy in, or creating more support at home, 21 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: or asking a manager to do something different. But the 22 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: challenge of remembering to implement a strategy or remembering to 23 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: do anything really is much more solvable. If you find 24 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: yourself thinking that you would like to do something but 25 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: that it is hard to remember, or even if you 26 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: hear yourself saying I need to remember to do such 27 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: and such, just stop. Reframe your intention. You don't need 28 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: to remember to do anything. You can make a plan 29 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: to do it and then perhaps compliment that plan with 30 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: a reminder. Then your brain is free for other things 31 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: besides keeping track of all your to dos. So remembering 32 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: to water your plants may not go so well. Instead, 33 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: choose a time and create a recurring calendar item or 34 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: set an alarm on your phone that reminds you to 35 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: go water your plants. Remembering to ask your work friend 36 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: how her daughter's dance performance went may lead to you 37 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: forgetting to ask about it, But planning to ask about 38 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: it could be accomplished with a calendar item or an 39 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: email to your work account that you will see as 40 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: soon as you open your email Monday morning, which is 41 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: right before you see your friend. Then you can be 42 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: sure you will ask about the performance. If you hear 43 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: yourself talk talking about remembering to do something. Pause and 44 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: adjust your language, say plan to instead, and then adjust 45 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: your approach. Figure out when you will do the thing, 46 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: and then set a specific reminder that will nudge you 47 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: to do it at that time. You don't have to 48 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: remember remembering is hard. You've built out a plan with 49 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: reminders so you can be confident you will follow through 50 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: on the action in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 51 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 52 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 53 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 54 00:03:53,880 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 55 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 56 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.