Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to remember that it's your schedule, so
Speaker 1: own it. When people tell me about the challenges and
Speaker 1: frustrations in their schedule, they often have lengthy explanations for
Speaker 1: why things aren't working. You see, I can't get anything
Speaker 1: done because my day is chopped up with meetings. Or
Speaker 1: I can't take up painting again, which I used to
Speaker 1: love because the only time I have to myself is
Speaker 1: after my kids are in bed and then I'm exhausted.
Speaker 1: Or how about this one, I really want to exercise
Speaker 1: on Saturdays, but my in laws come over in the
Speaker 1: morning and by the time we say goodbye, it's too
Speaker 1: hot to go for a run. We all have our
Speaker 1: stories reasons that our schedule isn't working. Sometimes it feels
Speaker 1: like these rules and obligations are carved in stone, but
Speaker 1: they're probably not. It's your schedule, so be bold about
Speaker 1: making it work for you. And no, that's not selfish,
Speaker 1: because in general, what truly works for you ultimately works
Speaker 1: for your family, your employer, and your community because they
Speaker 1: win when you can function as your best self. One
Speaker 1: of the first steps to making your schedule work for
Speaker 1: you is to rethink how you respond to schedule requests.
Speaker 1: Sometimes people feel obligated to accept a work or social
Speaker 1: appointment at whatever time is offered, even if the time
Speaker 1: is difficult. The thinking is that if there's no actual conflict, well,
Speaker 1: there's no good reason to refuse an offered time. Guess
Speaker 1: what you can rethink this notion. You do want to
Speaker 1: be considerate of other schedules, but that doesn't mean saying
Speaker 1: yes to a time just because you are technically free.
Speaker 1: For instance, if a friend suggests talking on Friday night
Speaker 1: at nine p m. After her kids go to bed,
Speaker 1: but you hope to relax with your partner, then it's
Speaker 1: ok to suggest a week day after her kids s
Speaker 1: bed time instead and see what she says. If a
Speaker 1: colleague proposes a meeting at ten o'clock but you are
Speaker 1: planning to buckle down on a big project, then it's
Speaker 1: ok to ask if he'd be available in the afternoon.
Speaker 1: And just because you usually do something at a certain
Speaker 1: time doesn't mean you have to do this forever. Perhaps
Speaker 1: our aspiring runner's relatives would be happy to come over
Speaker 1: a little later and get an update about the morning run.
Speaker 1: The people who want to spend time with you for
Speaker 1: professional or personal reasons generally want the best for you.
Speaker 1: They are not out to hijack your schedule. They may
Speaker 1: have more flexibility in their own schedules than you assume.
Speaker 1: You can look for times that work well for both
Speaker 1: of you. So the next time you are asked to
Speaker 1: do something at a time that isn't great for you,
Speaker 1: here this gentle reminder that you are in charge of
Speaker 1: your own schedule, you can always ask for something else.
Speaker 1: Often you'll find a mutually convenient time that makes you
Speaker 1: and the other person happy, and every day is a
Speaker 1: great day for that. 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 p O D. You can also shoot me an
Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot
Speaker 1: com That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying touch Before
Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more
Speaker 1: podcasts from i heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app,
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.