WEBVTT - Make space for possibility converstions

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to make space for possibility conversations. Even if

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<v Speaker 1>you are very busy, and even if you have a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people seeking you out, it is worth making

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<v Speaker 1>some space in your schedule for new things. After all,

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<v Speaker 1>new things are where the breakthroughs really come. In my

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<v Speaker 1>new book, Big Time, I talk about the idea of

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<v Speaker 1>being thoughtfully accessible. A lot of productivity literature is about

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<v Speaker 1>saying no to more things, and there's something to that,

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<v Speaker 1>but we also want to say some strategic yeses as well.

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<v Speaker 1>If you knew about something great, you would already be

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<v Speaker 1>doing it. It's saying yes to things that we don't

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<v Speaker 1>know about that allows new opportunities, relationships, and adventures to

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<v Speaker 1>come into our lives. So how do we strike the

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<v Speaker 1>right balance? This is particularly challenging for people who are

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<v Speaker 1>in positions of power or who have the ability to

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<v Speaker 1>do big things for people. After all, there are a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of demanding people and a lot of bad ideas

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<v Speaker 1>in this world. How can you have good boundaries and

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<v Speaker 1>also leave open the possibility that a good idea will

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<v Speaker 1>make its way to you. One option I like is

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<v Speaker 1>to make space in your schedule for possibility conversations. The

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<v Speaker 1>idea is that you carve out a set amount of

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<v Speaker 1>time each week or so for conversation where you don't

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<v Speaker 1>know exactly where things will lead, or to talk with

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<v Speaker 1>new people that you think might be worth getting to

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<v Speaker 1>know better. So, for instance, you might decide that in general,

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<v Speaker 1>you will have these conversations on Friday mornings. Perhaps you

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<v Speaker 1>might even set a rough time frame you are available

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<v Speaker 1>from ten thirty to noon on Fridays for these sorts

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<v Speaker 1>of things. Then if someone reaches out to get to

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<v Speaker 1>know you, to pitch an idea, or to do something

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<v Speaker 1>like pick your brain, much as I hate that phrase,

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<v Speaker 1>then you nudge these people to Friday morning. If they

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<v Speaker 1>really want to talk with you, they will find a

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<v Speaker 1>way to make it work. This way, you are still accessible,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is contained. You know these conversations won't take

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<v Speaker 1>over your whole schedule. You can be mentally prepared for

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<v Speaker 1>that block of time. It is limited enough that you

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<v Speaker 1>won't worry that you're not making progress on other things,

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<v Speaker 1>and things can still get to you. Perhaps during a

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<v Speaker 1>slow week you will even start seeking out who you

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<v Speaker 1>might want to talk to during your possibility conversations. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>obviously many of us are not in such high demand,

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<v Speaker 1>and if that is the case, then we can be

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<v Speaker 1>more proactive about trying to have possibility conversations at least

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<v Speaker 1>once or twice a week. One of the things I

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<v Speaker 1>like about having added an interview episode to this podcast

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<v Speaker 1>each Wednesday is that I tend to be having a

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<v Speaker 1>conversation with someone new each week. I have met all

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<v Speaker 1>sorts of interesting people this way in life, we are

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<v Speaker 1>going to spend most of the time talking with people

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<v Speaker 1>we already know, and with people where we know the

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<v Speaker 1>conversation will lead to something that is just the nature

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<v Speaker 1>of being busy and of there being a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people in the world. But when we make space for

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<v Speaker 1>disability conversations, we leave ourselves open to just that possibility.

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<v Speaker 1>We can do this wisely in ways that allow for

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<v Speaker 1>good new things and limit the downsides. It's just an

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<v Speaker 1>hour or two, it will be okay 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. Thanks for listening to before breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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