1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: episode is going to be a longer one part of 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 2: the series where I interview fascinating people about how they 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: take their days from great to awesome and any advice 6 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 2: they have for the rest of us. So today I 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: am delighted to welcome Chris Bailey back to Before Breakfast. 8 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 2: Chris is a productivity expert and the author of the 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 2: brand new book Intentional How to Finish What You Start. 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: So Chris, welcome to the show. 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 3: Laura, how you doing. 12 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: I'm good. I'm glad to have you back. 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: Why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about 14 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: yourself For anyone who's a new listener and wasn't here 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 2: a year and a half ago. 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: Well, I have a beard, live in Canada, and I 17 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 3: like productivity like some people have normal interests. But I 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 3: think people like us, Laura, were just weird in the 19 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 3: way that we try to opt demise the different components 20 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 3: of our day. And so that's what I'm obsessed by. 21 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 3: And so it's that curiosity that drives me into writing 22 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: books on the topic, giving talks on the topic. So 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 3: I guess in a nutshell, I'm an author on productivity. 24 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 3: I've written three books now this is number four them. 25 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 3: I'm so excited to get out into the world. 26 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, what drew you to the topic of finishing? 27 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 3: Oh? Yes, well, it's really the fascination that I have 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 3: with becoming more intentional. And so we all know this, right, 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 3: The intention is a beautiful idea, But we don't always 30 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 3: finish what we start. But there are the times that 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 3: we do then, and so what separates the times that 32 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 3: we do finish what we begin from the times that 33 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 3: we don't. And so this idea of it, like when 34 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 3: we finish what we start, there was always an intention 35 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 3: behind what we're doing. But just because we set an 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 3: intention to do something thing doesn't mean that we'll actually 37 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: follow through with that thing. So is this idea of 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 3: follow through and that idea of intentionality it really like, 39 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 3: for the last ten years or so, I've really fundamentally 40 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 3: believed that it's intentionality that lives at the core of productivity. 41 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 3: But then again, the idea of that is quite beautiful, 42 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 3: But when the rubber meets the road on a daily basis, 43 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: we have to actually be able to follow through with 44 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 3: those things, and so it was almost the disconnect between 45 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 3: why do we not always follow through with the intentions 46 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 3: that we set observing that that really got me curious 47 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 3: about the research and what strings we can pull on 48 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: behind the scenes in order to overcome the mental resistance. 49 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 3: We have, the procrastination, we have the fact that some 50 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 3: things feel meaningless, all that good stuff that's in the book. 51 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I was to say, I mean, it seems 52 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: like it's probably a mix between sort of these mental factors, 53 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 2: like how motivated we are by our various intentions, and 54 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: then just the sheer practical matters of time management, the 55 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 2: sort of things I talk about that people you know, 56 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: believe they're going to have five hours a day to 57 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 2: do something and they just aren't in their current lives, 58 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: and so yeah, whatever they're going to do, they're not 59 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: going to finish it because they haven't allocated the time 60 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: in their lives to do so. So I'm curious how 61 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 2: they what are the factors that lead to somebody finishing 62 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: or not finishing on an intention. 63 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 3: Ooh, I like that you touched on motivation off the 64 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 3: start of the question, because motivation is something that has 65 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 3: always felt nebulous to me, And values are another tangential 66 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: topic to that that's always felt nebulous to me. When 67 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 3: I think of defining our values, I think of those 68 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 3: cheesy corporate exercises that I've had to do in the 69 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 3: working corporate jobs, where some person comes in and says, oh, 70 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 3: let circle a bunch of words on a page that 71 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 3: describe who you are. And there's where it's like humor 72 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 3: and grace and things like that. But there's not really 73 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: any research behind that when you actually dig into that 74 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: kind of stuff, but there is. It turns out on 75 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 3: human values and values. They're essentially the motivational core of 76 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,559 Speaker 3: who we are, and it's this whole, essentially gold mine 77 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 3: of scientific research on what motivates us on a deep 78 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 3: and fundamental level. So from a broad perspective, there's twelve 79 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 3: main values. We all share them, but in different amounts. 80 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 3: So some of us value self direction, going our own way, 81 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 3: with creativity, productivity. I'd imagine a lot of before Breakfast 82 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 3: listeners are in that boat. Others values. Others of us 83 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 3: value tradition. Some people value power and face and humility 84 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 3: and universalism, which is loving and respecting the nature and 85 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 3: other people there's benevolence. There's stimulation, which is you know, 86 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: the excitement, the novelty that we can experience in the moment. 87 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 3: There's you know, the list goes up. There's twelve of them, 88 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 3: and so we all have these in different amounts, and 89 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 3: every task that we have to do is connected to 90 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 3: one or more of these values. So if you have 91 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 3: to write some boring thing, some handbook project or something 92 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 3: at work, this is an example I keep coming back 93 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 3: to because this was I have vivid memories of having 94 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 3: to write one when I worked at Alcatel lousen To 95 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 3: telecom company here in Ottawa, and it was so aversive 96 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 3: because I felt like it was something that I had 97 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 3: to do. You know, it kind of mapped with the 98 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 3: value of conformity almost because it was just something that 99 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 3: I needed to do and not really connect with. I 100 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: didn't really connect with it. But I happen to value 101 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 3: benevolence highly, which is helping and serving other people. And 102 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 3: so when I reframed it to mentor new employees through 103 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 3: the handbook project, for myself, it was the same task. 104 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 3: It was just the way that I approached the thing 105 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 3: was far far more motivating. So you're exactly right, that 106 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 3: there are those multiple levels of motivation and follow through 107 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 3: that we need to focus on. That's kind of the 108 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 3: broad level of how what does our relationship with the 109 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: things that we have to get done look like? And 110 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 3: then there's the day to day, which is of course 111 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 3: fun to chat about too, But I've gone on for 112 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 3: long enough. We'll talk about that thing about. 113 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 2: You know, how a value might affect how you Behave 114 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 2: you tell an interesting story in the book of having 115 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 2: trained for a marathon. I mean not just like half heartedly, 116 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: like having gone through like four hour training runs and 117 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 2: then elected not to run it, like just you know, 118 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 2: and didn't feel like this was a disconnect, like that, 119 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 2: you actually felt like you had done the part you 120 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: cared about. 121 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: So maybe you could well talk about that. 122 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, well this story bother you, by the way, I 123 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 3: need to ask. 124 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 2: Well, I mean not in a particular sense of men, 125 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: you can live your own life, Chris, But yeah, yeah, 126 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 2: I mean I've signed up for plenty of races that 127 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 2: I haven't run. It's usually more than I don't want 128 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: to run in the moment because it's like raining on. 129 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: That day or something like that. 130 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I know, if I personally can run 131 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 2: that amount of you know, I've done it before. Yeah, 132 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 2: so I guess it doesn't I don't need to show 133 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: anyone that I can do it. 134 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 3: Oh, so you're you're kind of like me in this regards. 135 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 3: So one of the values, and I didn't mention it, 136 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 3: even though it's a pretty common value overall, and probably 137 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 3: especially for listeners of this podcast. I know it's high 138 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 3: for the value for the readers of my website. One 139 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 3: of the values is achievement, accomplishing things, and so you know, 140 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 3: and so if you love achieving things, you shouldn't feel 141 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 3: guilty about that, by the way, you know. So that's 142 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 3: an important thing, just as if you value tradition and 143 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 3: you want to live a traditional life or a conformity 144 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 3: and you want to work in that fid whatever it is, 145 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 3: don't feel guilty your values. They're fundamental human things. And 146 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 3: so there was a story that I shared in the 147 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 3: book where I was training for a marathon way back when, 148 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 3: over two decades ago, which really hurts to say it 149 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: at this point in my life, Laura, but I essentially 150 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: got to the point where I was running for hours 151 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 3: on the treadmill in the basement because it was winter 152 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 3: time at the time, and I just kind of thought, Okay, 153 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 3: I could run the marathon now, and so I stopped 154 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 3: training entirely. And I know, like, it's so fascinating how 155 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 3: the way that we look at the world and interpret 156 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 3: the world is informed through the lens of what we value. 157 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 3: Because somebody who values achievement, whose highest value is achievement, 158 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 3: they might look at that story and think, what is 159 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,079 Speaker 3: wrong with this guy? Like he was so close. All 160 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 3: he needed to do was wait until summertime and keep 161 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 3: up like a just a basic maintenance schedule with his running. 162 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 3: But honestly, my highest value is self direction, going my 163 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 3: own way. And so once I could see that I 164 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 3: had been you know that it was a meaningful experience 165 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 3: that I could do it. I went my own way 166 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 3: and got to the point where I could have run 167 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 3: the marathon, I was happy. I was filled. Achievement is 168 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 3: kind of a middling value. It's not super low for me, 169 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 3: it's not super high for me. It's kind of in 170 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 3: the middle. I'm not really driven to achieve things for 171 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 3: the sake of having achieved them, And so when I 172 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 3: looked at it, when I think back, I think, oh, 173 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 3: like that was a really meaningful thing that I did 174 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 3: training for that marathon, but it wouldn't be meaningful for 175 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 3: somebody else who values something like achievement, which I find 176 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 3: it just fascinating. So values there are motivational core, but 177 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 3: they're also the broader, broader principles that we strive for 178 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 3: in our lives, and so it's fascinating. They motivate us, 179 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 3: they create meaning for us, and there's that deep, deep 180 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 3: research behind them, which is really what you want want 181 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 3: to see when you apply tactics for a topic like that. 182 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 2: Absolutely, well, we're going to take a quick ad break 183 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 2: and I'll be back with more from Chris Bailey. I 184 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 2: am back with Chris Bailey, author of the brand new 185 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: book Intentional How to Finish What You Start. 186 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: So what we. 187 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: Mentioned earlier that sheer practicality of how much time you 188 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 2: have available is going to play into whether you finish 189 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 2: what you start if you've allocated. 190 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: Enough time for this. 191 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 2: And you mentioned that people generally only have about four 192 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 2: focused hours a day. How does this affect what we 193 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 2: can take on and reasonably finish. 194 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, well this is a great frustration of mine, how 195 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 3: limited our capacity for daily focuses. But yeah, and we 196 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 3: all know this to some level, to some extent where 197 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 3: the one of the worst things that you can do 198 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 3: for your productivity is trying to focus on things all 199 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 3: day long, because you get to the point where you're 200 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 3: rereading the same email for the seventh time, and it's 201 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 3: just some simple thing that you need to respond to, 202 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 3: and what you really need in that moment is just 203 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 3: to go for a walk. It's kind of like what 204 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 3: you say, Laura. I'm going to butcher this, by the way, 205 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 3: but you say something along the lines of like, if 206 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 3: you don't take a break yourself, your brain will take 207 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 3: one for you. Is that close? 208 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty close? Yeah, yeah, something like that. 209 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 3: Yes, it's a loose approximation of one of these great 210 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 3: things that you say. And the research on our daily 211 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 3: capacity for focus it's a bit frustrating, actually, because it 212 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 3: does show that we have four four and a half hours, 213 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 3: you know, give or take a little bit. It depends 214 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 3: how naturally motivating we find our work. So if we're 215 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 3: doing something that it feels effortless to us, you know, 216 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 3: we won't have a problem regulating our attention to refocus 217 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 3: on that thing continuously. But when we have to regulate 218 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 3: our attention to focus on something. We do have that 219 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: upper limit of about four hours. And so if you're 220 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 3: mapping out your day and defining your daily intentions, for 221 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 3: an example, really think and reflect on how much focused 222 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 3: work you have to do that day. You know, there's 223 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 3: some meetings that we can kind of zone off in. 224 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 3: Sometimes there's admin work that doesn't require our full attentional capacity. 225 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 3: But when it comes to the real focus work, we 226 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 3: do have that natural limit. And so this is I 227 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 3: think something else that's critical to keep in mind that 228 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 3: we have a natural capacity for being able to follow 229 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 3: through on the things that requires some mental energy and attention, 230 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 3: and so really work within those limits or else you'll 231 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 3: be fighting against them. And so there are these ways 232 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 3: make your work more naturally motivating by a line it 233 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,439 Speaker 3: with your values. When you don't have autonomy, there are 234 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 3: you know, take on projects that fire you up because 235 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 3: you'll be able to be productive on them for longer 236 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 3: when work. And this is you know, the pithy old 237 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 3: saying find a job you love and you'll never have 238 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: to work a day in your life is true though 239 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 3: in the research, because you have to regulate your attention 240 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 3: to focus on caring about it less often, and so 241 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 3: you actually go further with the things that you love, 242 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 3: and so there's a lot of tangential strategies in there too. 243 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think a lot of it comes down to 244 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 2: how you plan out your goals. And I know you 245 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 2: mentioned that achieving goals is eighty percent action and twenty 246 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 2: percent planning. I don't know. I might even put the 247 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 2: planning higher because I think that is why a lot 248 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 2: of people don't achieve what they're going to do, is 249 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 2: they haven't thought through the constituent steps. They haven't thought 250 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: through how long those steps will take, and they also 251 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 2: haven't thought through how you know, doable those goals feel 252 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 2: to them in terms of me. I think you have 253 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 2: a quote that the less you want to do something, 254 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: the shorter your process goals duration should be, so that 255 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 2: you know, if you keep something to five minutes a day, 256 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 2: it feels like nothing, but you do five minutes a 257 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: day over and over again, it does add up. 258 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, And that's the thing that I think people 259 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 3: get really wrong with goal attainment is you know, they 260 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 3: get the ratio of planning to action wrong, like you're 261 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 3: getting at people. I think have this idea where a 262 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 3: goal is ninety five percent acting towards it. And it 263 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 3: makes sense that bias, right, because I think, how else 264 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 3: am I going to achieve a goal but to just 265 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 3: put one foot in front of the other. But if 266 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 3: you're not even walking in the right direction, it doesn't 267 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 3: matter how many feet you put after one another. And 268 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 3: this is another thing that I find fascinating about, this 269 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 3: idea of becoming more intentional, where like you're saying, you know, 270 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 3: we have these these shorter term goals, we have these 271 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 3: longer term goals. We have these values which are essentially 272 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 3: our ultimate intentions in our life there or what we 273 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 3: strive to get out of a life. And it's fascinating, 274 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 3: you know. One of the things when you look at 275 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 3: the research, there's a lot of different disparate parts of intentionality. Right. 276 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 3: We have our momentary intentions right right now listening to 277 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 3: this podcast for us chatting on the podcast. We have 278 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 3: the plans that this are a part of. We have 279 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 3: the goals that are broader than that. We have the 280 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: priorities that are broader than that. We have the values 281 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 3: that are broader than that too, each taking place over 282 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 3: an increasingly long time span. And so in the book, 283 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 3: I introduced this idea that I've come to really rely 284 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 3: on in my own life in planning out my goals 285 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 3: and planning out my plans and stuff called the intention stack, 286 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 3: where it's essentially all those layers of intentionality stacked on 287 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 3: top of one another right present moment, to the plans, 288 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 3: to the goals, to the priorities, to the values that 289 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 3: we all have. These are all just different words, different 290 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 3: containers for this idea of becoming intentional. The difference is 291 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 3: the time frame and how these different layers of intentionality 292 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 3: in our life can work together. It's quite beautiful in 293 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 3: a way. 294 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 2: So, Chris, with all those do you have any intentions 295 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 2: or goals for the new year? I mean this is 296 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: airing at the beginning of a new year, so it's 297 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 2: a topic that's on many people's mind. 298 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 3: Yes, I really want something I find and you might 299 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 3: find this too, is you know, I look back on 300 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 3: the other books that I've put out and I think 301 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 3: about the publicity cycle and stuff for them, and one 302 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 3: thing that bugs me a little bit looking back is 303 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 3: I wasn't really present enough to enjoy it a lot 304 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 3: of the time. So you know, you have like in 305 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 3: the past, what I've done is like I've made a 306 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 3: list of like, oh, okay, I want to get these 307 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 3: points across, you know, I want to get these points 308 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 3: across talking points in other words. But looking at this book, 309 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 3: I really just want to be present in the conversation. 310 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 3: There's no notes in front of me, Laura, there's no 311 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 3: notes in front of me. I don't even have the 312 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 3: list of values, but I probably should. I probably should 313 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 3: have that one, so I don't drop like a big one, 314 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 3: but really just being present in what I'm doing in 315 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 3: the new year, especially when things get hectic, you know, 316 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 3: when speaking picks up with the book, when the media 317 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 3: picks up with the book, I really want to be 318 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,959 Speaker 3: there to enjoy it because I personally this one feels 319 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,360 Speaker 3: special to me in a way where you know, it's 320 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 3: kind of been incubating these things for ten years or so, 321 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,400 Speaker 3: and so it just feels like almost therapeutic to get 322 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 3: this book out there into the world. So yeah, just 323 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 3: being present in all that. 324 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 2: I think, all right, well, we're going to take one 325 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 2: more quick ad break and I'll be back with more 326 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 2: from Chris Bailey. I am back talking with Chris Bailey, 327 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 2: author of the brand new book Intentional How to Finish 328 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 2: What You Start. So Chris, one of the intentions many 329 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 2: people set is to develop a good morning routine. 330 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 1: We are here before breakfast. 331 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 2: However, you've mentioned that your attempts to develop sort of 332 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 2: an elaborate morning routine over the years have not really 333 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 2: worked because you're not a morning person. 334 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 3: I mean. 335 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 2: So it's sort of coming to grips with our intentions 336 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 2: and goals need to fit with reality. 337 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, And that's the thing you know. In the book, 338 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 3: I call it Cpatne goals, because there's some goals we love. 339 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 3: The idea of waking up early is a really good 340 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 3: one for me, a good example for me, because I 341 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 3: love the idea of being a morning person, Laura. I 342 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 3: love the idea of waking up at five or whatever 343 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 3: and getting the morning paper off the doorstep and getting 344 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 3: a nice coffee or a cup of tea, going and 345 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,159 Speaker 3: meditating and going for a But when an next it 346 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 3: comes time to implement a change like this into my life, 347 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 3: I realize that I hate rituals like this. I'd much 348 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 3: rather sleep in and you know, slumber out of bed 349 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 3: and then grab the paper off the doorstep. So it's 350 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 3: this idea of CPA tone goals that I've really come 351 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 3: to think of these as where often we love the 352 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 3: idea of a change, but we really don't want the 353 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 3: practical implications of that change. So this is there's a 354 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 3: great quote I think it's from and Lamont where she 355 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 3: wrote that how we spend our days is how we 356 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 3: spend our lives. I think I have the person right 357 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 3: there and Lamont or Mary Oliver one of the two 358 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 3: flip a coin. But the idea is we have these 359 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 3: ideas of a lot of these grand changes that we 360 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 3: want to make to our life, but we don't think 361 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 3: about the day to day. You know, we want to 362 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 3: write a book, but what does that actually look like 363 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 3: on a daily or a weekly basis? To write that? 364 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 3: But we want to run a marathon? Well what does 365 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 3: that actually look like on a daily and weekly basis? 366 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 3: And so it goes back to that idea of the 367 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 3: intention stack, where a goal it should be connected with 368 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 3: what we value because that'll be the motivational propellant that 369 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 3: we need. And similarly, it should be connected with the 370 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 3: broader priorities in our life that we can observe. But 371 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 3: it also needs to connect with the plans that we 372 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 3: have in the daily actions that we take, because if 373 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 3: it's not God help us in achieving the goal. We 374 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 3: need to think through all of the different layers of 375 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 3: intentionality so that something isn't just some idea fantasy, cp 376 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 3: a tone bontage that we wish to have and make 377 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 3: in our life. It becomes this tangible A goal should 378 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 3: really be a tangible representation of a change, of a journey, 379 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 3: of a story that we're going to go on with 380 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 3: our life. And so I think that's so critical to 381 00:20:58,640 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 3: keep in mind. 382 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 2: All right, well, Chris, I always ask my guests on 383 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: this show, and I've asked you this before, so then 384 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:06,959 Speaker 2: you'll have to come up with anyone. You may not 385 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: remember what we said last time, but what is something 386 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 2: you have done recently to take a day from great 387 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 2: to awesome? 388 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 3: Ooh, I have one that's more recent. So my daily 389 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 3: not daily dailies being generous, but you have that great rule. 390 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 3: Three times a week is a habit. That's what I 391 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 3: do with the gym three times a week. I have 392 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 3: a gym habit. And one thing that I've done recently 393 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 3: is I switched gyms. Because you know, one of the values, 394 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 3: one of the twelve values, is called hedonism, and you 395 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 3: know some people have sultry connotations, but it's just pleasure. 396 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 3: It's just sense pleasure. So one thing I've started to do, 397 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 3: because I, you know, I wasn't enjoying the gym to 398 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 3: the extent that I could have or should have, is 399 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 3: I started to treat the gym like a spa. And 400 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 3: so I go there and I make sure I have 401 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 3: a bit more time. I'll, you know, make sure I 402 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 3: have a time for the shower. After I switched gym, 403 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 3: so they have like fancy, fancy or shampoo and stuff. 404 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 3: It's more luxurious. It's only twenty dollars more a month, 405 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 3: and I go more. I go more often because it's 406 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 3: so pleasurable. It's so luxurious. It's eighty dollars Canadian a month, 407 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 3: which is probably like fifty five US. So it's not 408 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 3: crazy either, but it's very nice. So treating the things 409 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 3: that I'm struggling with kind of like a spa is 410 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 3: a weird tactic, But that frame for me where it 411 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 3: becomes more about the heaton is the heatonistic side of 412 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 3: of the experience. It negates a lot of the aversion 413 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 3: that I have around so the gym. Treating the gym 414 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 3: like a spa, if you're struggling with a gym routine. 415 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 3: Treat it like a spa. By God, you're gonna love it. 416 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, especially if you're only going three times a week. 417 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 2: I mean that could be the other thing too, because 418 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,640 Speaker 2: not aiming for more than that might be the key 419 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 2: to making it still enjoyable or at least something you 420 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 2: can talk in your life. 421 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: So exactly, what what are you looking forward to right now? 422 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 3: Oh? The well, besides the book coming out, I feel 423 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,879 Speaker 3: I've plugged it enough, though, I'm actually really looking forward 424 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 3: to to to releasing this book out into the world. 425 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 3: We're filming a little bit before. I hate that I'm 426 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 3: ending this on a plug. I'm I'm I don't love 427 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 3: plugging stuff actually, but as a as a Canadian, you know, 428 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 3: But I'm so excited to share these ideas with the 429 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 3: world and to see that people connect with these values, 430 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 3: especially because they're they're like what motivate us at at 431 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 3: Even if you don't buy the book, think about how 432 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 3: the values that that we've been chatting about today, how 433 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 3: they influence your goals, your level of motivation, your level 434 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 3: of meaning in your day. I'm so excited to to 435 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 3: just shout from the mountaintop about these twelve values because 436 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 3: I think they're they're going to help a lot of 437 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 3: people out and see their motivations and the motivations of 438 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 3: other people actually differently as well. So that's what I'm 439 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 3: hoping for. 440 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: Excellent. Where can people find you? 441 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 3: Oh? Here in my office and can Chris Bailey dot. 442 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: Com can't co visit your office? 443 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 3: There? Well, if you're in Autawa, come on by. You 444 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 3: got to find the place. I guess yeah, Chris Bailey 445 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 3: dot com for my newsletter, and the book is called 446 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 3: Intentional How to Finish what You Start? 447 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: Excellent. 448 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 2: Well, everyone, Chris, thank you so much for joining us. 449 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 2: Thank you to everyone for listening. If you have feedback 450 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 2: on this or any other episode, you can always reach 451 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 2: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 452 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 453 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 454 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 455 00:24:52,840 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 456 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 457 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or 458 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.