WEBVTT - Use the tomorrow test

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to use the tomorrow test to help

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<v Speaker 1>you make better decisions. If an option doesn't sound like

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<v Speaker 1>it would be appealing to you tomorrow, it is probably

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<v Speaker 1>not going to be appealing for you ever, no matter

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<v Speaker 1>how far in the future you look. Long time listeners

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<v Speaker 1>may have heard me recommend using the tomorrow test for

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<v Speaker 1>evaluating requests. When you are presented with a one off

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<v Speaker 1>social event or a work or volunteer commitment, consider whether

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<v Speaker 1>you would say yes if you would have to do

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<v Speaker 1>this thing tomorrow. If you would say yes, go for it.

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<v Speaker 1>If not, consider whether your future self is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be upset with you for saying yes on his or

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<v Speaker 1>her behalf. Now. Of course, you may be thinking that

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<v Speaker 1>you couldn't do it tomorrow because you are busy tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>But your future self is going to be busy too.

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<v Speaker 1>If you wouldn't rearrange your schedule to say yes tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>don't say yes for the more distant future either. You

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<v Speaker 1>can use the tomorrow test for longer term professional projects

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<v Speaker 1>or personal commitments as well. If you don't have time

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<v Speaker 1>in your schedule to start a new project within the

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<v Speaker 1>next week or so, When will you realistically have the

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<v Speaker 1>time for it. Unless you have a project with a

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<v Speaker 1>clear end date coming up, you probably don't want to

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<v Speaker 1>take on a new project unless you have the time

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<v Speaker 1>an inclination to get started on it right away. The

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<v Speaker 1>same goes for a new book club, or softball team

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<v Speaker 1>or wire. If you can't make it to the next

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<v Speaker 1>choir practice, do you really have the time and desire

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<v Speaker 1>to join the choir at all? Not only does the

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<v Speaker 1>tomorrow test keep us from making commitments we end up regretting,

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<v Speaker 1>it can save us from bad purchases too. When you

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<v Speaker 1>buy a new item of clothing that you love, you

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<v Speaker 1>usually want to wear it the next day, or at

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<v Speaker 1>least on the next appropriate occasion. You may even invent

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<v Speaker 1>an occasion to wear it. But if you don't wear

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<v Speaker 1>something on the next appropriate occasion, it is probably never

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<v Speaker 1>going to be a favorite. So if you are shopping

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<v Speaker 1>and contemplating buying a new pair of shoes, ask yourself,

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<v Speaker 1>will I wear these tomorrow? If the answer is not

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<v Speaker 1>a resounding yes, they are probably not for you. This

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<v Speaker 1>is equally true for interesting ingredients at the grocery store bacon,

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<v Speaker 1>onion jam or chilly crisp may seem fun to try,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you don't plan to try them tomorrow, save

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<v Speaker 1>your money in your pantry space for something else. Aspirational

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<v Speaker 1>ingredients don't make your meals special when they never get enjoyed.

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<v Speaker 1>If a new book catches your eye but you wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>start reading it tomorrow, don't buy it. Put it on

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<v Speaker 1>your to be red list, and you can remind your

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<v Speaker 1>future self about the book and let her decide whether

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<v Speaker 1>she wants to read it. The good news is that

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<v Speaker 1>in this era of e books, you will be able

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<v Speaker 1>to purchase the book immediately as soon as you decide

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<v Speaker 1>you do want to read it, so you don't need

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<v Speaker 1>to add it to the night standpile now. The tomorrow

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<v Speaker 1>test knowledge is that we are still going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the same people in the future. I am not saying

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<v Speaker 1>people don't change at all, because they sometimes do, but

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<v Speaker 1>life is not going to be magically less complicated at

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<v Speaker 1>some later date. You won't magically have more energy. So

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<v Speaker 1>when you are making any sort of decision, evaluate how

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<v Speaker 1>enthusiastic you would be tomorrow. That is a much more

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<v Speaker 1>accurate representation of future you than anything else. If you

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<v Speaker 1>try the tomorrow test, you can let me know how

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<v Speaker 1>it goes at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. In

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<v Speaker 1>the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's

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<v Speaker 1>to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd

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<v Speaker 1>love to hear from you. You can send me your tips,

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<v Speaker 1>your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter,

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<v Speaker 1>Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the

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<v Speaker 1>number four, then breakfast p o D. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

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<v Speaker 1>in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i

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