WEBVTT - Use templates to save time 

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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 for all those tasks you do regularly,

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<v Speaker 1>make a template, that is something that serves as a model.

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<v Speaker 1>Templates help us get things done efficiently and successfully. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't have to approach familiar situations as though you've never

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<v Speaker 1>seen them before. Instead, use a template to make getting

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<v Speaker 1>started easier. For instance, in a past episode, I suggested

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<v Speaker 1>creating go to gifts. This is really a gift giving template.

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<v Speaker 1>For instance, you decide that you'll narrow the universe of

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<v Speaker 1>baby gifts down to a monogrammed rattle, a canvas tote

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<v Speaker 1>bag with the baby's name, or a favorite children's book

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<v Speaker 1>from your own childhood. You decide which of these gifts

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<v Speaker 1>you give to any given family, and the personalization makes

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<v Speaker 1>it less cookie cutter, but the choices are simple, which

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<v Speaker 1>makes the process straightforward. You can make packing templates too.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe you realize that every time you spend a week

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<v Speaker 1>at the beach, you need two bathing suits to cover ups,

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<v Speaker 1>four sets of exercise clothes, two dinner out outfits, five

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<v Speaker 1>casual tops, five casual bottoms. Flip flops, running shoes, and

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<v Speaker 1>dressing sandals. It can be helpful to make a packing

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<v Speaker 1>list before you pack, and then after you get back

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<v Speaker 1>from the trip, edit the packing list with notes about

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<v Speaker 1>anything you'll do differently next time. Grocery shopping and meal

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<v Speaker 1>planning are more efficient with templates too. Make a recurring

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<v Speaker 1>grocery list. Start with the items you buy every week,

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<v Speaker 1>like milk and salad greens, so those are already typed in.

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<v Speaker 1>Then have sections for various categories like fruit and vegetables,

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<v Speaker 1>and write the items you need that week in the

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<v Speaker 1>appropriate category. The sections guide you to think about what

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<v Speaker 1>you'd like in each category, so you end up with

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<v Speaker 1>enough of everything, but not more than you can end ay.

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<v Speaker 1>As for meal planning, a template for the week means

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<v Speaker 1>this chore is much less overwhelming and my family these

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<v Speaker 1>days we're cooking up something simple on Monday. This week

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<v Speaker 1>it was salmon with broccoli. We make meal kits from

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<v Speaker 1>sun Basket on Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning those nights are

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<v Speaker 1>pretty mindless too. We order in from an area restaurant

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<v Speaker 1>on Thursday. Friday is pizza night. There are very few decisions,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's a good thing. During the week, all we're

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<v Speaker 1>really deciding is Monday night and which restaurant we order

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<v Speaker 1>from on Thursday. Now, you may be thinking that using

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<v Speaker 1>templates sounds boring and repetitive, but think again. We don't

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<v Speaker 1>eat the same thing every Wednesday in my house. The

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<v Speaker 1>meal kits provide some variety. Even with removing the decisions.

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<v Speaker 1>The weekly menu is pretty varied, but a template provides

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<v Speaker 1>basic structure. This saves us from facing the metaphorical blank page,

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<v Speaker 1>the overwhelming feeling of owing that you can choose anything

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<v Speaker 1>and having no idea what you want. Templates give you

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<v Speaker 1>a starting point within which you can make creative choices.

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<v Speaker 1>And if you decide to disregard your templates sometimes, well

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<v Speaker 1>that's totally fine. Templates are designed to help you, not

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<v Speaker 1>to limit. You feel free to give some new baby

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<v Speaker 1>a really cute outfit, or go out for dinner on

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<v Speaker 1>Tuesday just because. But every mundane choice doesn't have to

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<v Speaker 1>consume as much attention, and that saves all kinds of time.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you use templates for in your life? I'd

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<v Speaker 1>love to hear about it. You can reach me at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast podcast at ihart media dot com. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E 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 podcast 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 I heart Radio, visit the i

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<v Speaker 1>heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.