1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about one way to respond to constraints. 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: Make the constraint a challenge. How we frame our circumstances 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: matters a lot for how we feel about them. Framing 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: a constraint as a challenge creates an opportunity for fun, 7 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: even if the constraint itself isn't exactly what we hoped for. 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: So I have no doubt that you can reel off 9 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: a list of constraints that you've experienced over this past year. 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: Perhaps your refrigerator went out and you had to wait 11 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: days for the part that was needed because of shipping delays, 12 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: Or maybe you wanted to upgrade your work from home 13 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: set up, but you didn't want to spend a lot 14 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: of money. You hope to celebrate a family birthday, but 15 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: the need for social distancing limited your options, or the 16 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: all two obvious constraint that I know a lot of 17 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: people are dealing with. You have a job to do 18 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: and no child care or in person school for your kids. 19 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: These are all non ideal situations, but trying to view 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: them as challenges can open up new ways of thinking. 21 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: While you wait for your fridge to be repaired, you 22 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: could see how many delicious pantry meals you could make. 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: Or you could imagine that you're testing out meals for 24 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: your next camping trip when you won't have a fridge available. 25 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: Or rather than feeling limited by a meager home office budget, 26 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: you might imagine that you're part of a decorating challenge 27 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: on the do it Yourself network. Repurpose furniture from elsewhere 28 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: in your house, ask for cast offs from friends, by 29 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: a few cheap accessories, and voila, you can enjoy the 30 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: grand reveal. You could even document your decor aiding challenge 31 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: on social media if that would make it seem more exciting. 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: If you can't throw a big party, get creative about 33 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: the purpose. Ask the birthday boy how he wants to 34 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: feel at his celebration, then see how many ideas you 35 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: can come up with that would create this feeling. In 36 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: our family, for instance, we learned that one of the 37 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: fun parts of a kid's birthday party is getting those 38 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: relatively cheap but random gifts that come from friends. Craft kids, 39 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: plastic figurines, you know what I'm talking about. So we 40 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: elected to buy a few more of those for our 41 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: kids than we otherwise would have. As for working at 42 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: home without childcare, Okay, do not turn off this podcast. 43 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: I have five kids and I know full well that 44 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: this is far from a fun challenge. But if that 45 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: is the situation you are currently stuck in and you 46 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: have exhausted your options for changing it, then you need 47 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: to get creative of identifying the ways you can add 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: the most value to your organization. How can you knock 49 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: your bosses socks off with your great work as efficiently 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: as possible? If you can only work for four hours 51 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: a day, maybe while your partner can cover, what can 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: you do best in that time? Nobody plays tennis or 53 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: volleyball without a net. The fun and lots of games 54 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: comes from the need to beat the clock. Boundaries like 55 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: these fuel strategy, innovation, and performance. In real life, constraints 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: aren't all fun and games, not by any means. But 57 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: if we can reframe constraints as challenges, maybe we'll feel 58 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: energized to find solutions rather than just give in to 59 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: the disappointment that would otherwise result. In the meantime. This 60 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 61 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: most of our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love to 62 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 63 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 64 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 65 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 66 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. At i 67 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out 68 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 69 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 70 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 71 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 72 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.