1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of My Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to schedule a pickup. In life, it 4 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: would be great if we didn't need deadlines to force action, 5 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: but the truth is we often do. So when you 6 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: can create a deadline, that might be just the nudgs 7 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: you need to get going. We'll be putting our house 8 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: on the market in the next few months, and so 9 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: we're trying to clear out some of the clutter that 10 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: inevitably builds up in ten years of living somewhere. The 11 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: sale itself will force some of this, but until that point, 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: it's always easy to put off cleaning for some other time. 13 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: But a few years ago I realized that there was 14 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: a good way to force myself to get going on 15 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: the clutter clearing. I would schedule a pickup from a 16 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: charity that collects donations from people's houses that would force 17 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: me to have the clothes, books, toys, or furniture I 18 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: wished to get rid of out on the porch by 19 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: that particular scheduled day. We schedule pickups with Green Drop, 20 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: whose collections benefit several different nonprofits, such as the Red cross, 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: but there are probably organizations in your neighborhood who will 22 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: do the same thing. If not, you can similarly force 23 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: a deadline by arranging for a friend to come help 24 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: you at a specific time and help bring your donations 25 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: to a processing center. You might be willing to waste 26 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: your own time, but probably not hers, So this version 27 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: of scheduling a pickup will similarly force the issue. When 28 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: I schedule a pickup, I get the donations moving. If 29 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: I don't, I might not. The same philosophy plays out 30 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: in all sorts of ways. Many important things in life 31 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: don't come with automatic deadlines attached, so you need to 32 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: schedule a pickup. That is, create your own deadlines. Maybe 33 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: it's that you want to travel somewhere or write that 34 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: book before an upcoming milestone birthday. If you keep meaning 35 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: to fix up a bathroom, planning a dinner party can 36 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: be a great forcing mechanism. You want the bathroom to 37 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: look nice for your guests, so you block off the 38 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: weekend for a paint job. It's scheduling a pickup in 39 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: a different form. Maybe you've met your yearly deductible for 40 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: healthcare costs, so that can force a deadline for scheduling 41 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: something non urgent but important before the year switches over 42 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: and you reset at zero. And of course we've all 43 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: heard of people finally changing up their wardrobes, getting a 44 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: new haircut, and maybe doing a little teeth whitening or 45 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: botox before a major high school reunion. A suddenly created 46 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: deadline tends to force things to be sure. This schedule 47 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: a pickup method isn't foolproof. I have scheduled to pick 48 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: up and then only gotten the minimum number of boxes 49 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: or bags out there, rather than using the deadline as 50 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: a nudge to be more thorough. Life does get busy, 51 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: but that's still more boxes and bags than would have 52 00:03:54,600 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: gone out before. So that's something deadlines really do help, 53 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: even if we've created them ourselves. So today, think about 54 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: what you've been putting off in your life. How could 55 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: you create a deadline that feels real enough to inspire you? 56 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: Think this through and you just might get a lot 57 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: more done in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 58 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody, 59 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 60 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 61 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 62 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: that's b the number four than breakfast p o D. 63 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at before Breakfast podcast. 64 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: At i heart meat dot com that before Breakfast is 65 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I 66 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 67 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I 68 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 69 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.