WEBVTT - Don't get lost in the small stuff

0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.720
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of My Heart Radio.

0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:14.120
<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:18.319
<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to batch small tasks so they don't

0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:21.639
<v Speaker 1>take over your whole schedule. Like a lot of people

0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:23.759
<v Speaker 1>who listen to this show, I love to make to

0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:27.480
<v Speaker 1>do lists, and I really like crossing things off the list.

0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:30.120
<v Speaker 1>I have been known to put things on my to

0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:32.960
<v Speaker 1>do list after doing them, just so I can cross

0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:36.320
<v Speaker 1>them off. I don't know why this feels so satisfying,

0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:40.599
<v Speaker 1>but I know that it does. Now this might seem harmless,

0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.240
<v Speaker 1>but here's the problem. Everything on the to do list

0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:48.800
<v Speaker 1>occupies an equal line in terms of space. All feel

0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:53.680
<v Speaker 1>equally satisfying to cross off, but not all are equally important.

0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:57.440
<v Speaker 1>Writing the chapter abstracts for a book proposal and spending

0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:00.760
<v Speaker 1>an hour editing my novel, and ordering birthday present for

0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:03.960
<v Speaker 1>a weekend party might all be on the list. The

0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:06.840
<v Speaker 1>first two are going to require a lot of focused

0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:11.039
<v Speaker 1>thought and work. The ladder not so much. So it's

0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:14.640
<v Speaker 1>very easy to find myself over on Amazon feeling really

0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:17.200
<v Speaker 1>good that I crossed that item off, and doing other

0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:20.200
<v Speaker 1>little things on the list, like scheduling an interview or

0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:23.080
<v Speaker 1>paying a bill. Now, yes, these have to get done

0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:25.560
<v Speaker 1>at some point, but when I spend too much time

0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:28.760
<v Speaker 1>on them, I take time and energy away from bigger things.

0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:32.520
<v Speaker 1>I can definitely order a birthday present off Amazon when

0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:34.560
<v Speaker 1>my energy is at a level two on a ten

0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:38.880
<v Speaker 1>point scale, I probably won't dream up those chapter abstracts

0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:41.920
<v Speaker 1>at that time. So if you truly want to get

0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:45.720
<v Speaker 1>things done, structure your schedule so you don't get lost

0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:49.360
<v Speaker 1>in the small stuff. Indeed, i'd suggest not even doing

0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:52.960
<v Speaker 1>this small stuff until the big stuff is done. Carve

0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:56.320
<v Speaker 1>out of time in the afternoon, when most people's energy dips,

0:01:56.760 --> 0:02:00.720
<v Speaker 1>for any small tasks that might otherwise derail you. If

0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:03.040
<v Speaker 1>a small task occurs to you at some other point,

0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:05.920
<v Speaker 1>put it on the list for that two pm slump,

0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:09.799
<v Speaker 1>but do not do it until the big stuff is

0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:13.480
<v Speaker 1>crossed off. I realized some of this is just mental.

0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.120
<v Speaker 1>Like I said, on many to do lists, everything gets

0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:19.000
<v Speaker 1>one line, which means that calling your biggest client to

0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:22.639
<v Speaker 1>address a complaint looks equal to printing off the return

0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:24.800
<v Speaker 1>label for that package that needs to go back to

0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:28.200
<v Speaker 1>the retailer. So here's a little trick to get around that.

0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:31.600
<v Speaker 1>When you're making your list, put all of your small

0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:36.919
<v Speaker 1>things on one line, just right, order present, Comma print label,

0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:41.600
<v Speaker 1>Comma pay vendor, Comma email Joe. That way, crossing out

0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:44.320
<v Speaker 1>one of the big things looks like you've done far

0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:47.600
<v Speaker 1>more than one of the little things. The little things

0:02:47.720 --> 0:02:50.280
<v Speaker 1>only get a tiny cross through a small portion of

0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:53.760
<v Speaker 1>a line, whereas the big stuff gets a full one.

0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:59.600
<v Speaker 1>Is this silly, yes, But putting time and energy into

0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.520
<v Speaker 1>import and stuff is serious business. Anything you can do

0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:07.840
<v Speaker 1>to nudge yourself in the right direction is smart. In

0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:11.960
<v Speaker 1>the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's

0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:21.240
<v Speaker 1>to making the most of our time. Hey everybody, I'd

0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.680
<v Speaker 1>love to hear from you. You can send me your tips,

0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:27.400
<v Speaker 1>your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter,

0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:33.240
<v Speaker 1>Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the

0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:37.560
<v Speaker 1>number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also

0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:41.000
<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i

0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:44.080
<v Speaker 1>heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out

0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:46.840
<v Speaker 1>with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward

0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:55.040
<v Speaker 1>to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of

0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:58.440
<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,

0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:02.440
<v Speaker 1>visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:06.200
<v Speaker 1>you listen to your favorite shows h