1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: Today's tip is for those moments when your work it's 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: hard and you're tempted to turn your attention elsewhere, You 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: can do that after you persist a little longer on 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: the task at hand, Identify a natural stopping point you'll 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: reach before you take a break, and then persist until 8 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: you get there, telling yourself but first this, we'll keep 9 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: you going just a little bit more. Anyone who set 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: exercise goals is familiar with the idea of pushing in 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: the face of a little discomfort. If you're running a 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: half marathon and you're tired at mile eleven, well you 13 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: don't sit down on the curb or head over to 14 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: a nearby restaurant. Somehow you pace yourself to get through 15 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: to the end. Most people who lift weights won't stop 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: at rep eleven. They'll somehow push to twelve. And yet 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: in many cases we don't feel the same urge toward 18 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: a natural stopping point with other kinds of work that 19 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: bookcases assembled. But we hit a tricky part and well, 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: is it time to go grab a cup of coffee? 21 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: I could have a podcast script for this show or 22 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: the New Corner Office almost written, and get stuck on 23 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: the closing and go check my email. I bet you 24 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: can recall when you've also stopped in the middle of 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: a task. For those of us who work at computers, 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 1: what usually happens is that we're deep in a project 27 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: and then hit a roadblock, something is challenging, or we 28 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: briefly get knocked out of a state of flow. We 29 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: could keep going, pushing through the challenge until we hit 30 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: a natural stopping point, but it's so tempting to just 31 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: check email instead, ease off the pressure, just see what's there. 32 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: Except here's the problem. That roadblock, it's still there, and 33 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: when you go back to it, because of course eventually 34 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: you do have to go back to it, you're starting 35 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: from zero, whereas before you had a running start, it's 36 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: not going to be easier to deal with Now it 37 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: will probably be harder. You'll have to get back into 38 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: the project, figure out where you were, regain momentum, and 39 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: then tackle the issue. It's often better to persist just 40 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: a little longer and then take a brain break. Instead 41 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: of switching gears as soon as work gets hard, try 42 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: telling yourself. But first this you don't have to resist 43 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: checking email or headlines, or getting a glass of water 44 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: or whatever you do when your mind needs a rest. 45 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: Just delay your mental break until you've finished writing the 46 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: next paragraph, responding to the final question in your client's email, 47 00:02:54,919 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: or whatever the challenging task, complete the next step. That way, 48 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: you'll maintain momentum and get more done. This is a 49 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: much better option than giving up, even unintentionally, every time 50 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: something gets hard. You may find that by the time 51 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: you finished writing the next paragraph for creating the next slide, 52 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: you're able to keep going, even beyond the spot where 53 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: you gave yourself permission to stop. But even if not, 54 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: when you take your break, you'll have a ready spot 55 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: to come back to. Getting back in the groove won't 56 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: be quite so hard. So today, if you find yourself 57 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: tempted to check email when the going gets rough, persist 58 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: just a little longer. First get to a natural stopping point. 59 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: But first this, you may be surprised at just how 60 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: far you go. In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 61 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 62 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 64 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 65 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 66 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 67 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 68 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 69 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 70 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 71 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 72 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.