1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: This week, we're going to be talking about several productivity 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: strategies I learned from my friend Gretchen Reuben. Gretchen is 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: the co host, with her sister Elizabeth Kraft, of the 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: podcast Happier. She's also the author of several books, including 7 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: The Happiness Project and Better Than Before. Today's tip that 8 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: she wanted to share with Before Breakfast listeners comes from 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: her most recent book, Outer Order. In her calm, the 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: tip abandon a project, Gretchen explains one source of clutter 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: in our homes and offices and a significant drain on 12 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: our energy, is the uncomfortable presence of unfinished projects. Whenever 13 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: I see evidence of an unfinished project, I get a 14 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: jolt of annoyance or guilt. I should organize those shelves, 15 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: or I need to finish alphabetizing those books. She says 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: that unfinished projects are irritating in themselves, and they also 17 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: contribute to clutter because we often leave them out in 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: the open as a reminder to finish them. So, according 19 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: to Gretchen, the quickest, easiest way to complete a project, 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: abandon it, decide you're never going to knit that sweater, 21 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: and get that stuff off your shelf and off your conscience. 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure we all have projects like these. I've got 23 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: a cross stitched Christmas stocking in my office right now 24 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: that I began decades ago. I keep it on a 25 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: table because well, I know, as soon as I put 26 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: anything in a drawer, it may as well be dead 27 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: to me. I actually had a bag of my favorite 28 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: candy sitting in my top desk drawer for months, untouched. 29 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: I wish this was a sign of my willpower, but 30 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: alas it's more a sign that for me, out of 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: sight means out of mind. Clutter doesn't bother me that much. 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: But I of that for some people, having a decade 33 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: long project sitting somewhere you could see frequently would be 34 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: an invitation to madness. So if this is you, consider 35 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: taking Gretchen's advice. What would happen if you decided to 36 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: just quit the project. You could decide that you will 37 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: never get around to making your own ice cream, and 38 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: you could donate, sell, or toss that ice cream maker 39 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: that's been taking up real estate in your small kitchen 40 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: for years. What if you decided that you were never, 41 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: in fact going to learn calligraphy, so you could give 42 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: that kit to a neighbor's kid who enjoys that sort 43 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: of thing. The first thing you'd probably noticed is that 44 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: the world would not end. No one cares if he 45 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 1: makes your own ice cream, and it's quite possible to 46 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: live a rewarding life never having done so. You might 47 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: also feel more light when you consciously decide to abandon 48 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: a project. You might feel like you can direct that 49 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: energy to other things. Of course, if the thought of 50 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: abandoning a project feels more upsetting than anything else, then 51 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: maybe it's time to get real. Give yourself a deadline 52 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: and a time frame. Look at your calendar for this weekend, 53 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: figure out a time when you will buy the necessary ingredients, 54 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: read the instructions, and use that ice cream maker. Hold 55 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: yourself accountable by inviting a friend over to try it 56 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: with you. If you try it and it's great, awesome. 57 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: If the project still doesn't happen despite your schedule and 58 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: your accountability mechanism, you know it wasn't meant to be. 59 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: Or even if the project does happen and it wasn't 60 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: all that great, then you can feel free to continue 61 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: with the purge. What nagging projects are crowding up your life? 62 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: What can you decide to abandon so you can free 63 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: up that mental space In the meantime, this is Laura. 64 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 65 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 66 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 67 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 68 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast 69 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 70 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com. 71 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 72 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 73 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For 74 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 75 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 76 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: favorite shows.