1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: tip is for when you are considering taking on new work, 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: you want to look at the whole iceberg, not just 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: the obvious visible stuff, but whatever hours of preparation, administration, 6 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: or travel will be needed. That way you can make 7 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: wiser decisions. Today's tip, like another this week, comes from 8 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: Amantha Imber's new book time Wise. This book looks at 9 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: various smart strategies for getting more done and feeling better 10 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: about it. In the book, Amantha tells a story about 11 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: taking on a project to improve an MBA program. It 12 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: all sounded very exciting until she found herself in a 13 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: four hour meeting in a windowless room, looking forward too 14 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: many more such meetings. She had been focused on the 15 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: shiny outcome, but of course that is not the only 16 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: part of any task. Amantha cites an observation from John Zaratsky, 17 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: an author and former design partner at Google Ventures, that 18 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: we often give what he calls an iceberg. Yes, we 19 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: say yes, because we are only seeing part of the iceberg. 20 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: As they warn people on ships, icebergs aren't just the 21 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: visible part of the ice above the water. Below the surface, 22 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: there may be hundreds of feet of ice which can 23 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: famously wreak havoc on a ship if you are not 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: aware of it. So it goes with many projects. Going 25 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: to an event isn't just the event itself. There's the preparation, 26 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: the travel, the logistics that might be necessary for you 27 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: to travel. Serving on a committee isn't just putting the 28 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: committee on your resume. Most of the time, you will 29 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: be meeting with people again and again, maybe during times 30 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: when you would have preferred to do something else. Picture 31 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: yourself on a lovely summer night while some friends have 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: gone out to dinner, and you are sitting in a 33 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: stuffy meeting room arguing over a small change to an 34 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 1: award's rules. How do you feel about it now? When 35 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 1: I put it that way, it sounds like people might 36 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: never say yes to anything, But of course that's not true. 37 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: I choose to sing in various concerts, even though performing 38 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: requires hours of rehearsal time, because I enjoy the rehearsals 39 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: For the most part. Too. There might be work projects 40 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: that are exciting enough that you relish the meetings, or 41 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 1: if nothing else, you can make sure you are compensated appropriately. 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: Speaking rates, for instance, don't just reflect the hour somebody 43 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: is on stage. They reflect the time necessary to prepare 44 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: a speech, travel to the venue, travel home, and so forth. 45 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: When you consider the whole iceberg, you can make wiser 46 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: decisions about how to spend your time. You won't bite 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: off more than you can chew. You won't feel resentful 48 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: about unexpected work because it won't be unexpected now. To 49 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,119 Speaker 1: be sure, you can't always tell what the iceberg will 50 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: look like, but you can do your due diligence. If 51 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: you are considering adding something new to your life, speak 52 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: to people who are already doing it. Ask about the 53 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: time commitment. Ask about what prep work and administrative work 54 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: is involved. If it's unclear, make an estimate. But know this, 55 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: it probably won't be nothing. It is almost never nothing. 56 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: You want to go into new commitments with your eyes open. 57 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: In time wise, Amantha Imber writes that she wound up 58 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: having to resign from the NBA committee after sinking time 59 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: into it without even getting to the shiny part. So 60 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: look at the whole iceberg. You will be far less 61 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: likely to wind up sinking your schedule in what was 62 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: an avoidable accident. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 63 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: for listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 64 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 65 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 66 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 67 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: That's b the number four then Breakfast pod. You can 68 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 69 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with 70 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 71 00:04:55,200 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. 72 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 73 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.