WEBVTT - Second Cup: If you can't work, plan

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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 that if you can't work, plan, even if

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<v Speaker 1>your current self doesn't feel like doing anything, you might

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<v Speaker 1>be willing to think about what future you should be doing.

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<v Speaker 1>That can turn what might feel like wasted time into

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<v Speaker 1>something far more productive. So longtime listeners know that one

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<v Speaker 1>of my favorite time management rules is to plan your

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<v Speaker 1>upcoming weeks on Friday afternoons. When I tell people about

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<v Speaker 1>this rule, I first explain the idea of planning your

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<v Speaker 1>life in weeks, think about the upcoming one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>sixty eight hours and what's important to you professional and personally.

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<v Speaker 1>I promise that this is a life changing practice. But

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<v Speaker 1>once people have their heads around that, inevitably the follow

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<v Speaker 1>up question is why Friday afternoons. The answer is that

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<v Speaker 1>if you work a Monday to Friday week, it is

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<v Speaker 1>really hard to start anything new on Friday afternoons. Most

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<v Speaker 1>people are drifting into the weekend at that point. But

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<v Speaker 1>if you can't actually execute on any of your priorities,

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<v Speaker 1>at least maybe you can define what those priorities will

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<v Speaker 1>be for upcoming days. And then future you, who hopefully

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<v Speaker 1>has more vim and vigor than Friday, you can tackle them.

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<v Speaker 1>That's why Friday is my weekly planning day. But you

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<v Speaker 1>can convert any low energy time into plan time. We

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<v Speaker 1>have all had those days you meant to work on

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<v Speaker 1>a big project in the afternoon, but you just got

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<v Speaker 1>back from lunch and frankly, you would rather take a nap. Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>you work somewhere that this is frowned upon. If that

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<v Speaker 1>is the case, why not use this time for planning

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<v Speaker 1>something else. It could be your full upcoming week, but

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<v Speaker 1>it could just be defining your to do list for tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 1>You could plan your upcoming weekend. Or here's an idea,

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<v Speaker 1>you could do some longer range planning. Make a summer

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<v Speaker 1>fun list, a list of things you'd like to do

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<v Speaker 1>to enjoy your summer and make summer memories. You could

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<v Speaker 1>work on your list of one hundred dreams. This exercise,

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<v Speaker 1>which was shared with me by career coach Caroline Seniza

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<v Speaker 1>Levine years ago, is basically a long unedited bucket list.

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<v Speaker 1>You could put items like travel to New Zealand or

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<v Speaker 1>singing Carnegie Hall on there, but you can also put

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<v Speaker 1>stuff like visit that state park that's thirty minutes away

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<v Speaker 1>that you keep meaning to go to but haven't. Or

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<v Speaker 1>it could be trying that new gelato place or replacing

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<v Speaker 1>your leaky coffee maker. If a list of one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>dreams isn't inspiring, you plan something random, like next year's

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas vacation or that hobby themed vacation you want to

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<v Speaker 1>pitch to your best friend. Or if you're like me

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<v Speaker 1>and have to come up with ideas again and again,

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<v Speaker 1>you might look through discarded ideas from last year and

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<v Speaker 1>plan November's podcast topics. Now one of several things might

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<v Speaker 1>happen if you plan when you can't work first. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>people find planning energizing. As you picture yourself writing a

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<v Speaker 1>collection of seasonal sonnets, or visiting Iceland or going on

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<v Speaker 1>a full bike ride through the Grand Tetons, you might

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<v Speaker 1>start to feel more excited about life. Maybe you'll even

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<v Speaker 1>be excited enough to make a tiny bit of progress

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<v Speaker 1>on whatever project you've been putting off. But if that

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't happen, at least now you've got a cool plan

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<v Speaker 1>for next week or next weekend or next November's podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>which is something you didn't have before. You may not

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<v Speaker 1>feel like doing anything today but tomorrow's schedule. That is

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<v Speaker 1>a work of art with time allocated to all your priorities.

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<v Speaker 1>You've planned some fun weekend get togethers from now until August.

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<v Speaker 1>You've picked out which operas you want to listen to

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<v Speaker 1>in your car on your commute. Who knows what you

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<v Speaker 1>have planned. When you plan when you can't work, you

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<v Speaker 1>are in fact working, and in many cases you are

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<v Speaker 1>doing higher value you work than you would have been

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<v Speaker 1>doing anyway. The satisfying life is all about turning intentions

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<v Speaker 1>into reality. If you plan when you can't work, you

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<v Speaker 1>are one step closer to that happening. 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. Hey everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number

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<v Speaker 1>four than Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an

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<v Speaker 1>email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before

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

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