1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: Good morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: Every weekday morning, I'll be sharing a strategy to help 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: you take your day from great too awesome. In future 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: episodes will dive right into the tips, but in these 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: first few episodes, I'm introducing myself and I wanted to 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: share a little bit about how I spend my time. 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: You might call it a typical day or a day 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: in the life of Laura with this caveat. I've spent 9 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: the past ten years studying people's schedules, and one of 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: the first things I learned is that there are no 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: typical days. When we describe a day is typical, what 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: we're really saying is that this is how we'd like 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: to see ourselves. This is the picture we wish to 14 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: share of our lives. It's often not an actual hour 15 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: by our reality. Just as an example, when you ask 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: people to describe a typical day, almost no one describes 17 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: a weekend day, even though Saturday and Monday constitute of 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: our days. A few people describe Friday either, even though 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: this gets us up to our time. I guess typical 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: days only happen Monday through Thursday, even though this is 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: barely more than half the week. When we think of typical, 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: we think of routine. It's just easier to describe something 23 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: we do repeatedly, even if that repetition happens less frequently 24 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: than you might imagine. That turns out to often be 25 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: the case. Indeed, Big time diary studies often find that 26 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: more than half of respondents say the day they tracked 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: was not typical. But this can't be true for the 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: majority of people, or we need to change the definition 29 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: of the word typical. It's kind of funny, but what 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: this means in practice is that any study that asks 31 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: people how much work they do on a typical day 32 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: or how much they sleep on a typical day is 33 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: going to be misleading. That's why I often ask people 34 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: to describe yesterday, not a typical day Yesterday. Maybe yesterday 35 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: wasn't typical for some reason or another, but it was 36 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: a real day. It really happened, and we can learn 37 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: a lot from that. So I'll give you both versions 38 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: of my life. Just as an exercise, on a typical day, 39 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: which by definition seems to be Monday through Thursday, I 40 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: set my alarm for six am, I get up in shower, 41 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: and then my husband and I spend seven to seven 42 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: fifty having family breakfast and getting kids ready for school. 43 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: At seven fifty are nanny shows up and I drive 44 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: my oldest child to middle school. I come back around 45 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: I check email or do administrative work, and at I 46 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: get the middle two kids out to the bus stop 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: by Our nanny is fully on with our littlest kid, 48 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: getting him ready for preschool, taking him, picking him up, 49 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: doing activities with him, and I'm in my home office 50 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: to start my work day. I am to do deep 51 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: work projects first, like writing an at NG. Then I 52 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: deal with emails and phone calls. I grabbed lunch somewhere 53 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: around noon, usually eating at my desk. Then I work 54 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: until two thirty or so, at which point I go 55 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: run outside. My goal is three point one miles. That's 56 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: a five K for any runners out there. I come back, 57 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: change and work until four PM, at which point kids 58 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: start getting off buses. I chat with them and then 59 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: drive to some kid activity or another. We often eat 60 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: dinner somewhere between five and six, depending on the activity 61 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: schedule for the evening. I'm often doing emails or work reading. 62 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: In the middle of all this, my husband comes home 63 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: and hear if he's not traveling. The little guy goes 64 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: to bed between seven thirty and eight. The seven year 65 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: old gets her stories at eight forty five. The big 66 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: boys go up around nine pm to read in the room. 67 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: I may read or work, shut the house, turn the 68 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: boys lights off at ten, and I am to be 69 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: in bed myself before eleven. So that's a typical day. 70 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: Now I'll describe yesterday, which, since I wrote the script 71 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: on a Tuesday, was a Monday. My husband had flown 72 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: to Europe on Sunday night, so he wasn't in the picture. 73 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: I set my alarm for sixty five am, but my 74 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: four year old woke up at five thirty. I was 75 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: definitely not prepared to deal with the day at this point, 76 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: so I got him a snack and let him watch 77 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: YouTube videos from five forty five to sixty five so 78 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: I could go back to sleep. I got up at 79 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: six forty five and spent the next two hours playing 80 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: with kids, getting them breakfast, and doing random household tasks 81 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: that I can't really remember. It was our neighbor's turn 82 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: to drive the car pool to middle school, so there's 83 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: a little extra time in here. I finally got my 84 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: own breakfast at eight fifteen and wolfed it down before 85 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: the bus stop. Fun At eight thirty five, I went 86 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: for a run in my neighborhood since I wasn't sure 87 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: it could happen later. I did not hit three point 88 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: one miles. I came back, got myself cleaned up, and 89 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: did an hour of work before going to my youngest 90 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: child's preschool to celebrate his fourth birthday. I read a 91 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: story and brought snack, and helped everyone get in boots 92 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: and coats to play on the snowy playground. After I 93 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: came home and worked until three, at which point I 94 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: packed my bags and drove to the airport to travel 95 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: to Houston for a speech. I had been told to 96 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: be early because of some potential T s A issues, 97 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: which turned out to be nothing that's good, But then 98 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: I had an hour to kill in the airport. I 99 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: never spend time at the airport well. I got a snack, 100 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: not a virtuous one, and scrolled aimlessly before getting on 101 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: my flight. On the plane, I intended to write something, 102 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: but I wound up reading a magazine for the first hour. 103 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: Then I ate dinner. I read a book I was 104 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: reviewing for the Wall Street Journal, so at least that 105 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: was work, and I listened to a podcast for the 106 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: last half hour while paging through Hemispheres magazine, reading stories 107 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: about United's customer service team. We landed around nine pm 108 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 1: Eastern time eight pm Central time. I walked through the airport, 109 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: met my driver, and stared out the window at the 110 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: Houston Strip malls as we drove downtown. I checked into 111 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: my room and pretty much crashed, well not really. I 112 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: lay in bed for forty five minutes reading snarky comments 113 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: on Twitter before falling asleep at eleven pm Eastern, which 114 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: was ten pm Central. So there are some similarities between 115 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: a typical day and yesterday, there are also some differences. 116 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: Adding it up, I only did about five hours of 117 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: work yesterday, whereas my description of a typical day easily 118 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: clocks nine or more. Looking at Instagram for an hour 119 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: in the airport isn't work, nor is looking at a 120 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: magazine on the plane. Looking at Twitter in my hotel 121 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: room also isn't work. My description of a typical day 122 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: did not include three hours of low quality leisure time, 123 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: but they happened. On the plus side, visiting my son's 124 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: preschool for an hour isn't typical either, but it happened. 125 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: A typical doesn't mean good or bad. It is what 126 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: it is, just like time itself. This might be an 127 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: interesting exercise for you too. Describe what you think of 128 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: as a typical day and compare it to yesterday. By 129 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: the way, I know exactly how I spent the day 130 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: I just reported because I tracked my time, and I've 131 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: been doing so for the past four years. We'll talk 132 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: more about that in a future episode. But by comparing 133 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: a typical day and a real day, I think you 134 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: can learn a lot about yourself, your life, and what 135 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,559 Speaker 1: matters to you in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 136 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, 137 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: everybody got a tip or a question. You can share 138 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: them with me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at Before 139 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. That's be the number four then Breakfast p 140 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: o D. You can also email me at Before Breakfast 141 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: Podcast at iHeart Media dot com for the email to 142 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: spell those words out. I look forward to connecting and 143 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: learning how you make the most of your time.