1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that you might have more flexibility during 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: the work day than you think, particularly if you're working 5 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: from home more now than in the past. You might 6 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: be able to have some little adventures and enjoy some 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: real leisure during breaks, as long as the work gets done. 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: How it gets done is largely up to you. Now. 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: Some people get paid by the hour, in which case 10 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: you need to work your contracted hours. Some people also 11 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: have to do certain kinds of work in specific places. 12 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: It's going to be hard to clean someone's teeth remotely 13 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: awesome as that might be for people who don't like 14 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: going to the dentist. However, a lot of work is 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: far more fluid, particularly these days, and this is especially 16 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: true now that many people are working from home more regularly, 17 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: and as organizations are considering hybrid models of in office 18 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: and remote work. One of the best things remote workers 19 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: and managers can do is to get clear on the 20 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: objectives for any given week. What would you like to 21 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: say by Friday afternoon that you've done What would make 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: for a challenging but doable week. People can propose these 23 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: objectives to their managers, or managers can set them for 24 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: people who need some guidance, but in either case, we 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: should all know what success looks like once we know 26 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: that though, there can be incredible freedom in the details. 27 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: And that means that if you are on target for 28 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: achieving your objectives, the exact hours don't matter so much. Yeah, 29 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: that means that you can do a lot of things 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: during the work day that you might not have considered before. 31 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: Finish the day's objectives early and the weather is beautiful, 32 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: take your kids to the pool at four pm when 33 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: they get home from day camp. On track for everything, 34 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: you could take a ninety minute lunch to go to 35 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: a local museum that's only open from nine to two 36 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: every day. If you need to make up the time, 37 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: you could work until six instead of five, or for 38 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: an hour at night after the kids go to bed. 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: Maybe you could go to a less crowded during the 40 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: day workout class, our run to the library or bookstore 41 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: and enjoy browsing. You could start work a little early 42 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: if you wanted to make up the time, or maybe 43 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: you are so efficient that the longer breaks fit fine 44 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: as they are when I have suggested using this time 45 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: flexibility to people. Some have eagerly started planning one little 46 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: adventure each week, just one, it can change everything, but 47 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: others are more reticent to even try one per week. 48 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: I've explored this reticence and seen a few reasons for it. 49 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: One is that some people want an absolute strict separation 50 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: between work and life. Work is nine to five, life 51 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: is outside that never the twain shall meet. I do 52 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: think folks are becoming a little bit less rigid about this, 53 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: as we've experienced working from home during the pandemic, But 54 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: it's still there. You have to know yourself. But I'd 55 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: suggest that you might want to re examine this mindset. 56 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: Where is this coming from. Sometimes people absolutely never want 57 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: to do work after five pm, and I get that, 58 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: but it's really not so terrible if you get a 59 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: little bit more free time during the day. But sometimes 60 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: I think it's that people have a deep seated fear 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: that if their boss, say, saw them at the swimming 62 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: pool at four pm, they might be fired. Okay, I guess, 63 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: but you know what, if your boss is at the 64 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: swimming pool at four pm, clearly she thinks there's some 65 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: flexibility involved in work too. I think more often some 66 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: people just feel so busy at work that they can't 67 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: step away from their desks for even a few minutes. 68 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: I understand the feeling, but I also think that sometimes 69 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: we become wedded to the identity of being the crazy 70 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: busy person. Look how much everyone needs us. We are 71 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: martyrs to being needed. Going to an art museum for 72 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 1: an hour during the day changes that narrative. And changing 73 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: a narrative can be scary, but it can also be liberating. 74 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: So try changing your story. Look at how powerful I 75 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: am in control of my time. I'd also point out 76 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: that getting away from your desk ocasionally can allow you 77 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: to get some great ideas, and if you need ideas 78 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: in your job that during the day, trip to a 79 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: botanical garden might actually wind up being more productive than 80 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: spending the equivalent amount of time deleting email. In any case, 81 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: if you have never tried a little during the workday 82 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: adventure and you have at least some flexibility in your job, 83 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: I challenge you to try it at some point over 84 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: the next week. Take at least an hour during a 85 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: work day to do something you've figured you can't do 86 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: because you have a nine to five job. If you 87 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: don't have to clock in and out, there is no 88 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: need to announce it. There's no need to figure out coverage. 89 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: It is only sixty minutes. See how it goes. Did 90 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: earth crash into the sun? No, Then you may have 91 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: more freedom than you have been realizing, so why not 92 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: use it. If you are hitting it out of the 93 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: park in your job, then your time really can be 94 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: your own. Little adventures can make life feel more fulfilling. 95 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: And if they are adventures that are easier to do 96 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: during the work day, well no need to write them 97 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: off just for that reason. In the meantime, this is Laura. 98 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 99 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 100 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 101 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 102 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four, then 103 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 104 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot 105 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: com That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 107 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For 108 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I heart 109 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 110 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: favorite shows.