1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: tip is to decide in advance what task you will 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: finish before your first cup of coffee. You will start 5 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: your morning with a sense of accomplishment that will energize 6 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: you for the rest of the day. We have probably 7 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: all heard the advice that we should never check email 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: in the morning, as Julie Morgan Stern would say, and 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: to put first things first, as Stephen Covey recommends. And 10 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: this is wise advice, but still plenty of people grab 11 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: a cup of coffee, sit down at their desks and 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: immediately start processing email and reacting to what comes in. 13 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: It is understand I mean, maybe you work with people 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: in different time zones and you want to catch up 15 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: on what has happened. But by the time you check 16 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: what has come in, more will come in. Then it 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: will probably be time for your morning meetings. It's easy 18 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: to get to lunchtime or even the end of the 19 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: workday having kept all the balls in the air, but 20 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: not having moved anything forward. You feel busy, but you 21 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: don't feel like you're getting much done. Sound familiar One 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: way to stop that habit is to decide at the 23 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: end of the workday what you will do before you 24 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: finish your first cup of coffee the next morning. It 25 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: could be helpful to choose a project that will take 26 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: half an hour or so and that you know you 27 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: will have the energy and resources to get done right away. 28 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: The satisfaction you get from completing that first coffee project 29 00:01:54,920 --> 00:02:00,559 Speaker 1: will give you momentum to proceed productively through the day. Now, 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: everyone's coffee projects will be different, of course. I often 31 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: like to draft a blog post. Someone else might plan 32 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: the agenda for an important meeting. Someone else might review 33 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: a report or look at all the sales data from 34 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: the last month so you can bring some new insights 35 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: to your next meeting on that. But whatever it is, 36 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: you are going for a small to medium sized task 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: that you can knock out first thing. Ideally, it's something 38 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 1: you can do without needing information or guidance from a colleague, 39 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: because I don't want you hunting through your inbox and 40 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: without having to wait for a stroke of inspiration. Now, 41 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: if you are like me, your first cup of coffee 42 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: at work is not actually your first cup of the day. 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: I tend to drink one while getting the kids off 44 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: to buses as well. That said, I think it might 45 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: be wise to aim to complete a low stakes, fairly 46 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: quick coffee project at home too, before you head to 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: work or start the morning drop offs. At home, your 48 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: coffee project might be writing morning pages or engaging in 49 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 1: a spiritual practice. It might be reviewing your calendar or 50 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: planning your day. If you accomplish something before you finish 51 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: your first cup of coffee at home, and something else 52 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: before you finished your first cup of coffee at work, 53 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: you are checking at least two tasks off your list. 54 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: Whatever else happens in your day, you know those tasks 55 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: will be done. You are being proactive instead of reactive, 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: and that is a good mindset to take through the 57 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: next few hours. So if you are sipping that first 58 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: cup of coffee right now, consider what project you could 59 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: finish before your first cup is empty, and at the 60 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,119 Speaker 1: end of the day, decide on a coffee project for tomorrow. 61 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: When you start with a sense of accomplishment, you set 62 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: yourself up for success in the meantime. This is Laura, 63 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 64 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 65 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 66 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 67 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 68 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 69 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.