1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: tip is that the known is less scary than the unknown. 4 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: If you've got a busy time coming up, or are 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: facing down a lot of responsibilities, getting a handle on 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: exactly what is going on can make everything feel less overwhelming. 7 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: So lately I have been reading my four year old 8 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: the book Tiny t Rex and the Very Dark Dark. 9 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: This is about a little t rex child who wants 10 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: to sleep outside in the backyard, but of course he 11 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: is frightened by the darkness, so he and his stegosaurus 12 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: friend hatch a plan to hang lights out there to 13 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,119 Speaker 1: escape the grumbles and the nambies. It doesn't go entirely 14 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: as planned, which is good since that creates a plot. 15 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: But of course, one upside of being able to look 16 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: around in the light is that you can see that 17 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: there aren't any nambies lurking in the trees. The known 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: is less scary than the unknown. I think of this 19 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: when I turn on my flashlight while dealing with late 20 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: night issues in the yard, and also whenever I plan 21 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: my upcoming weeks. Life can get very busy with work 22 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: travel and work demands, and the kid's schedules and the like. 23 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: I know people listening to this podcast are juggling all 24 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: sorts of things. I've had people tell me that they 25 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: sometimes feel like they don't want to list everything that 26 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: is on their plates because they are worried they won't 27 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,559 Speaker 1: be able to deal with it. They just don't want 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: to know. And I get it, but that's like being 29 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: out in the backyard with the grumbles and the nambies. 30 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: I really do believe that the unknown is scarier than 31 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: the known. When you can see everything, you can make 32 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: a plan to deal with it. You can tackle the 33 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: immediately looming things and schedule the less looming things to 34 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: a later time. You can figure out what you need 35 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: to do and what other people can help with, and 36 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: you can decide to let some things go and focus 37 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: on others that matter more instead of just dealing with 38 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: whatever is right in front of you at the moment. 39 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: You might even decide that there isn't as much as 40 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: you thought on your plate and you can get through 41 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: a lot of it with a push. Or you might 42 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,119 Speaker 1: realize that there is a lot, but there was going 43 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: to be a lot, whether you knew about it or not. 44 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: Better to be able to intelligently triage the mess. So 45 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: if you are facing a busy time, I encourage you 46 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: to make a list of everything you need to do 47 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: to deal with it. Take a few minutes to brainstorm 48 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: what's on your mind and get it out of your head. 49 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: Then make sure you are doing a weekly planning session 50 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: to figure out what needs to happen when, what can 51 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: you deal with in the next week, what should happen immediately, 52 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: and what should happen later. You can supplement this with 53 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: a mini session for each day. Before each workday ends, 54 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: make a quick list of what you're going to reasonably 55 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: get done the next day, or you can do it 56 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: in the morning. Whatever works. But there is no reason 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: to be out without a flashlight. When Tiny t Rex's 58 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: string of Christmas lights blue affuse, he looked up and 59 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: saw the stars and they provided a lot of light too. 60 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: That is better than closing your eyes because you are scared. 61 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: The known is less scary than the unknown. One way 62 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: or another, you are going to make it through in 63 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 64 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 65 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 66 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 67 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 68 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 69 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.