1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to make a commitment after work, especially 4 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: if you are working from home, as many people still 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: are these days. Work and life can bleed into each other. 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: Having something big in your personal life can make you 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: more efficient at work and make your non working hours 8 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: seem bigger and more memorable. When I first started working 9 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,599 Speaker 1: from home full time in late two thousand two, I 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: was living in New York City with a roommate who 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: traveled a lot for work. In other words, I spent 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: a lot of time alone in my apartment. I would 13 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: half work and half not work well into the evening. 14 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: Now this was before the days of social media, but 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: I would read a lot of comment threads on discussion 16 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: boards if you remember those. I wasn't exactly getting anything done, 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: but I wasn't really relaxing either, with my inbox right 18 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: there where I could see the numbers rising. What helped 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: break the cycle for me was joining three community choirs, 20 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: each met once a week, so on three week nights, 21 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: I'd need to stop work by six or six thirty 22 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: and haul myself to rehearsal. Seeing other people put me 23 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: on a more regular shower schedule, which was good, but 24 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: a hard stop on work also had the upside of 25 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: making me better at my job. I'd work hard and 26 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: get it done by six instead of getting distracted, because 27 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: I knew I could keep working until midnight if I 28 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: wanted these days. I have five children who make it 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: difficult to keep working until midnight, what with their need 30 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: to be fed and put to bed and such. Their 31 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: activities often force a stop to work, but I have 32 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: made sure to still be in one choir whose Thursday 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: rehearsals still punctuate my week. If you have the sort 34 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: of job that can bleed into all hours of the 35 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: day and night, then I would highly suggest that you 36 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: to commit to something in your personal life. Yes, you 37 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: are busy, and making commitments can seem ridiculous when every 38 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: hour is spoken for with work and family responsibilities. But 39 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: hear me out here. One of the reasons people feel 40 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: like they spend all their time working is that work 41 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: is structured. Hours have jobs to do. We plan how 42 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: we will spend our time and what we will accomplish 43 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: with that time. We are working towards something and have 44 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:05,519 Speaker 1: commitments with other people that happen at specific hours. All 45 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: of these make time feel more full. Many people's personal 46 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: lives do not feature these same attributes, and that makes 47 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: the time feel malleable and sadly, more often forgettable. Now, 48 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: I am not saying that you need to plan in 49 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: fifteen minute chunks like you would at work, but a 50 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: once a month book club, a run every Monday morning 51 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: with a friend, and your Wednesday night tennis game with 52 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: your sister will all make your leisure time feel more expansive. 53 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: Then if you just scroll around social media for the 54 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: same quantity of time, that's because these commitments are memorable, 55 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: you will remember and notice them, whereas lower quality leisure 56 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: time just seems to disappear. Plus, work can expand to 57 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: fill the available space when we give it less space. 58 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: Because we have commitments in our personal life, well sounds good. 59 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: It'll find a way to fit and that will mean 60 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: we will waste less time. And if you are working 61 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: from home, it's also good to get out and see people. 62 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: Even if you do have a family, you can trade 63 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: off with a partner or relative or neighbor, or hire 64 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: a sitter for kid coverage just a few hours a 65 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: week can make a big difference between feeling like you 66 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: are always working but not necessarily getting much done, and 67 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: feeling like you are efficient and have a real life. 68 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: I think I know which one sounds better. In the meantime, 69 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 70 00:04:54,320 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: the most of our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love 71 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 72 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 73 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the 74 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 75 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i 76 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out 77 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 78 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 79 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. 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