WEBVTT - Why am I doing this?

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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 get clear on why you are doing

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<v Speaker 1>what you are doing, especially if you're feeling stretched. Because

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<v Speaker 1>it is on my schedule or because it is on

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<v Speaker 1>my to do list may not be an adequate reason

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<v Speaker 1>to do much of anything, So get clear on what

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<v Speaker 1>the real reason is. When we get busy, it is

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<v Speaker 1>tempting just to focus on what is immediately in front

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<v Speaker 1>of us. We march through the day's schedule, going from

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<v Speaker 1>meeting to meeting, doing whatever tasks we immediately need to do.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you are feeling like you have more on

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<v Speaker 1>your plate than you'd like to right now, it is

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<v Speaker 1>probably wise to step back and see if all the

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<v Speaker 1>things keeping you busy are actually moving you somewhere you

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<v Speaker 1>would like to go. To do this, audit your schedule

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<v Speaker 1>and your to do list. Whenever you are doing something

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<v Speaker 1>or are about to do something, ask yourself, why am

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<v Speaker 1>I doing this. If you are not sure why, or

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<v Speaker 1>if the results aren't worth the effort, you could consider

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<v Speaker 1>whether you want to adjust. For instance, why are you

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<v Speaker 1>spending an hour every Friday writing a weekly email update

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<v Speaker 1>to your boss. Why are you meeting a friend who

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<v Speaker 1>lives twenty minutes away for a walk every Monday at

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<v Speaker 1>six am? Why are you spending an hour and ninety

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<v Speaker 1>dollars taking tennis lessons every week? Why are you going

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<v Speaker 1>to visit your dad at the retirement home on Saturday.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometimes your answer to the question why am I doing

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<v Speaker 1>this may point you toward doing something more efficiently. For instance,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe the weekly update email is intended to make sure

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<v Speaker 1>your boss knows what what you're doing. That's probably wise. However,

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<v Speaker 1>you could also make the email shorter, with just two

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<v Speaker 1>bulleted lists projects completed this week and projects in process.

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<v Speaker 1>You're still accomplishing the goal, but in less time, and

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<v Speaker 1>my guess is that your manager is probably going to

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate the brevity. Sometimes the reason you're doing something may

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<v Speaker 1>be that the activity made sense in the past, but

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<v Speaker 1>you need to figure out how to make it make

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<v Speaker 1>sense right now. Perhaps you and your walking buddy you

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<v Speaker 1>still live closer to each other. You had to get

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<v Speaker 1>home in time to get your kids ready for daycare

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<v Speaker 1>drop off. Six a m was the time that fit

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<v Speaker 1>in your schedule, but now you live in a different neighborhood.

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<v Speaker 1>You and your friend both work remotely, your kids are older.

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<v Speaker 1>Could you walk over your lunch breaks on a weekday

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<v Speaker 1>and alternate walking in your neighborhood one week and hers

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<v Speaker 1>the next. You're still getting physical activity and time with

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<v Speaker 1>your friend, but you cut the driving time in half

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<v Speaker 1>and eliminated the need for an early wake up. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>you may realize that what you're doing just doesn't make

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<v Speaker 1>sense anymore. If you are not enjoying your tennis lessons,

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<v Speaker 1>you could quit and use the time and money for

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<v Speaker 1>something else. Other times, the question might reconnect you with

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<v Speaker 1>the purpose of the activity. For example, you are visiting

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<v Speaker 1>your father because you really want to spend time with him,

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<v Speaker 1>and visiting him regularly is a good way to do that.

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<v Speaker 1>Reminding yourself of this can help you assure yourself that

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<v Speaker 1>taking time to do this over the weekend is, in fact,

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<v Speaker 1>the best way you could be spending your time. Everything

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<v Speaker 1>else can wait. When you ask yourself why am I

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<v Speaker 1>doing this? You can prompt yourself to be more intentional

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<v Speaker 1>about your schedule. If there's a good reason, you're doing

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<v Speaker 1>something amazing, and if you don't have a good reason

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<v Speaker 1>for doing something, you have the power to adjust that

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<v Speaker 1>will make time feel a bit less like being on

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<v Speaker 1>a hamster wheel. If you try auditing your schedule and

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<v Speaker 1>to do list by asking why am I doing this?

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear what you learn. You can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app podcasts, or wherever you listen

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<v Speaker 1>to your favorite shows.