Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is to plan your time so you get the
Speaker 1: most out of it. Intentions mean that time doesn't flutter away,
Speaker 1: slipping out of our grasp. So people often quote Annie
Speaker 1: Dillard's line from her book The Writing Life that how
Speaker 1: we spend our days is, of course how we spend
Speaker 1: our lives. What we do with this hour, and that
Speaker 1: one is what we are doing. It's such a good
Speaker 1: reminder to make sure that how we use our time
Speaker 1: accords with what we want for our lives. But that
Speaker 1: is not the only Annie Dillard quote worth noting. It
Speaker 1: goes on to describe a schedule as a net for
Speaker 1: catching days. Perhaps we could envision this net as looking
Speaker 1: like a butterfly net, because time, like a butterfly, will
Speaker 1: flit away from our grasp if we are not strategic
Speaker 1: about it. Time moves regardless. Intentions allow us some control,
Speaker 1: so we don't just passively watch time flit on by.
Speaker 1: Hence the schedule. Now, to be clear, a schedule doesn't
Speaker 1: mean we have to commit to things every fifteen minutes
Speaker 1: and on weekends and holidays too. It is just a
Speaker 1: general plan for how we'd like our time to go
Speaker 1: at the end of the day or the week. What
Speaker 1: would make life feel satisfying. I like the way Annie
Speaker 1: Dillard's net metaphor positions the schedule as a tool we
Speaker 1: use use a schedule to catch time and make it meaningful.
Speaker 1: The net or schedule isn't something that's catching us and
Speaker 1: limiting us. It is empowering us. If you are reluctant
Speaker 1: to plan or schedule your days or weeks, try planning
Speaker 1: with the mindset that the plan is letting you grab
Speaker 1: time for enjoyment and meaning, rather than have that time
Speaker 1: flit away. You will generally do what you have to
Speaker 1: do or whatever a screaming loudest in front of you.
Speaker 1: A net lets you capture time that you otherwise wouldn't
Speaker 1: for meaning, beauty, and fun. So what experiences would you
Speaker 1: like to capture in your life next week? When I
Speaker 1: plan my weeks, I keep these three categories in mind, Career, relationships,
Speaker 1: and self. I encourage you to try that as well.
Speaker 1: I identify priorities for week in each category, and then
Speaker 1: with the butterfly net of my plan, I am able
Speaker 1: to catch time in the coming week and seize meeting
Speaker 1: from it. I know that in the next week I
Speaker 1: plan to revise three more chapters in my novel and
Speaker 1: spend some time outlining a new nonfiction book idea. I
Speaker 1: plan to implement more time outside after dinner for my
Speaker 1: kids now that the days are longer and lighter. I
Speaker 1: also plan to book some personal travel that I can
Speaker 1: look forward to. None of this has to happen. The
Speaker 1: world will survive without my novel, and my kids can
Speaker 1: just watch TV. I can keep trudging along living normal life.
Speaker 1: But I want these things to happen. Intentions and a
Speaker 1: schedule make them more likely. So today, as you look
Speaker 1: ahead to next week, think of your plan or schedule
Speaker 1: as a net for catching days. Figure out the pleasures, meetings,
Speaker 1: and accomplishment you want from your time, and use your
Speaker 1: schedule to catch them in the meantime. This is Laura.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Speaker 1: before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four. Then
Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
Speaker 1: shod I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.