1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: tip is that if you can't work, plan, even if 4 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: your current self doesn't feel like doing anything, you might 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: be willing to think about what future you should be doing. 6 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: That can turn what might feel like wasted time into 7 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: something far more productive. So longtime listeners know that one 8 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: of my favorite time management rules is to plan your 9 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: upcoming weeks on Friday afternoons. When I tell people about 10 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: this rule, I first explain the idea of planning your 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: life in weeks, think about the upcoming one hundred and 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: sixty eight hours and what's important to you professional and personally. 13 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: I promise that this is a life changing practice. But 14 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: once people have their heads around that, inevitably the follow 15 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: up question is why Friday afternoons. The answer is that 16 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: if you work a Monday to Friday week, it is 17 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: really hard to start anything new on Friday afternoons. Most 18 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: people are drifting into the weekend at that point. But 19 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: if you can't actually execute on any of your priorities, 20 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: at least maybe you can define what those priorities will 21 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: be for upcoming days. And then future you, who hopefully 22 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: has more vim and vigor than Friday, you can tackle them. 23 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: That's why Friday is my weekly planning day. But you 24 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: can convert any low energy time into plan time. We 25 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: have all had those days you meant to work on 26 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: a big project in the afternoon, but you just got 27 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: back from lunch and frankly, you would rather take a nap. Unfortunately, 28 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: you work somewhere that this is frowned upon. If that 29 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: is the case, why not use this time for planning 30 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: something else. It could be your full upcoming week, but 31 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: it could just be defining your to do list for tomorrow. 32 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: You could plan your upcoming weekend. Or here's an idea, 33 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: you could do some longer range planning. Make a summer 34 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: fun list, a list of things you'd like to do 35 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: to enjoy your summer and make summer memories. You could 36 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: work on your list of one hundred dreams. This exercise, 37 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: which was shared with me by career coach Caroline Seniza 38 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: Levine years ago, is basically a long unedited bucket list. 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: You could put items like travel to New Zealand or 40 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: singing Carnegie Hall on there, but you can also put 41 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: stuff like visit that state park that's thirty minutes away 42 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: that you keep meaning to go to but haven't. Or 43 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: it could be trying that new gelato place or replacing 44 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: your leaky coffee maker. If a list of one hundred 45 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: dreams isn't inspiring, you plan something random, like next year's 46 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: Christmas vacation or that hobby themed vacation you want to 47 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: pitch to your best friend. Or if you're like me 48 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: and have to come up with ideas again and again, 49 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: you might look through discarded ideas from last year and 50 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: plan November's podcast topics. Now one of several things might 51 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: happen if you plan when you can't work first. Sometimes 52 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: people find planning energizing. As you picture yourself writing a 53 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: collection of seasonal sonnets, or visiting Iceland or going on 54 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: a full bike ride through the Grand Tetons, you might 55 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: start to feel more excited about life. Maybe you'll even 56 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: be excited enough to make a tiny bit of progress 57 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: on whatever project you've been putting off. But if that 58 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: doesn't happen, at least now you've got a cool plan 59 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: for next week or next weekend or next November's podcasts, 60 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: which is something you didn't have before. You may not 61 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: feel like doing anything today but tomorrow's schedule. That is 62 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: a work of art with time allocated to all your priorities. 63 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: You've planned some fun weekend get togethers from now until August. 64 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: You've picked out which operas you want to listen to 65 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: in your car on your commute. Who knows what you 66 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: have planned. When you plan when you can't work, you 67 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: are in fact working, and in many cases you are 68 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: doing higher value you work than you would have been 69 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: doing anyway. The satisfying life is all about turning intentions 70 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: into reality. If you plan when you can't work, you 71 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: are one step closer to that happening. In the meantime. 72 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 73 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey everybody, I'd love to 74 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 75 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 76 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number 77 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: four than Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an 78 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That 79 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 80 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before 81 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 82 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 83 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.