WEBVTT - Second Cup: Work slower

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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 to work slower. Sometimes doing things at a

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<v Speaker 1>deliberate pace can lead to better work. It can also

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<v Speaker 1>lead to you feeling better about your work, which is

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<v Speaker 1>no small thing. Today's tip, like some others this week,

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<v Speaker 1>comes from Chris Bailey's new book, How to Calm Your Mind.

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<v Speaker 1>This book is all about finding presence and productivity in

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<v Speaker 1>anxious times. Chris notes that the opposite of burnout isn't

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<v Speaker 1>doing nothing, its engagement. The more engaged we are with

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<v Speaker 1>our lives, the less anxious and the more productive we

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<v Speaker 1>will be. While we can certainly build engaging hobbies and

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<v Speaker 1>activities into our lives, it's even better if we can

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<v Speaker 1>feel actively engaged in our work. One way to do that,

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<v Speaker 1>according to Chris, it's working slower. As you turn down

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<v Speaker 1>the stimulation factor by ending multitasking, you will naturally dive

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<v Speaker 1>deeper into what you are doing. Chris writes, there is

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<v Speaker 1>great joy to be found in working with a thoughtful

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<v Speaker 1>deliberateness on what's important. If you value productivity as I do,

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<v Speaker 1>don't worry what you'll lose in speed, you'll easily earn

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<v Speaker 1>back in making progress on what's important. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>lesson I am continually relearning when it comes to doing

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<v Speaker 1>deep knowledge work. The more slowly I work, the more

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<v Speaker 1>impact my work tends to have. Now, Chris's argument here

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't mean pointlessly delaying things or leaving your coworkers waiting.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the best image to keep in mind is

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<v Speaker 1>using the space you would have used for multitasking to

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<v Speaker 1>actually engage in your work more deeply. Rather than interrupting

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<v Speaker 1>yourself ten times in an hour to check email as

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<v Speaker 1>you write a memo, take fifty minutes to write that memo,

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<v Speaker 1>focusing only on that memo, and then check your email

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<v Speaker 1>for ten minutes, which do you think will produce a

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<v Speaker 1>more carefully crafted statement. You are working slower and more deliberately,

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<v Speaker 1>but the good news is that the task as a

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<v Speaker 1>whole might not really take any more time. Rather than

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<v Speaker 1>have a superficial conversation with a colleague as you are

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<v Speaker 1>both flitting in and out of messages, put the screens

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<v Speaker 1>away entirely and really talk through a topic. You can

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<v Speaker 1>end a little early and then check all of your

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<v Speaker 1>other inputs. But the slow conversation might produce more interesting results.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also work slower in a way by leaving

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<v Speaker 1>space to revisit things. I know. I always try to

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<v Speaker 1>leave time to come back to the things I write.

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<v Speaker 1>When I write these scripts, for instance, I write them,

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<v Speaker 1>then I edit them, then I practice speaking them out loud.

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<v Speaker 1>That way, I can think through the argument and also

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<v Speaker 1>think if a word choice would be better for material

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<v Speaker 1>that is meant to be heard rather than read silently.

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<v Speaker 1>I know I generally work fast, and I make no

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<v Speaker 1>apologies for that. That's how I get things done in

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<v Speaker 1>a world where a kid could come home from school sick,

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<v Speaker 1>or a plumber could show up to deal with the

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<v Speaker 1>various problems in my home renovation. But all, let's say,

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<v Speaker 1>a full hour on something with no chosen interruptions can

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<v Speaker 1>often feel quite leisurely and luxurious. Feeling that work is

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<v Speaker 1>luxurious is a decadence sensation. Indeed, I enjoy it, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm guessing you will too. It will, as Chris puts it,

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<v Speaker 1>calm your mind, and that makes life feel more doable

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<v Speaker 1>in the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b number four then Breakfast Pod. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts. At iHeartMedia

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<v Speaker 1>dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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