1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: tip is that efficiency isn't everything. Even if there is 4 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: a task that could be done cheaply by someone else, 5 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: or that theoretically could take less time, if you enjoy it, 6 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: feel free to keep doing it, at least some of 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: the time. The endpoint of efficiency is freeing up time 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: for tasks you enjoy. If you are already at that 9 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: enjoyment step, you are winning at life. So I have 10 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: been reading various books lately on how entrepreneurs can free 11 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: up time. Many entrepreneurs work very long hours because they 12 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: are tackling everything in their businesses. That can be a 13 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: problem if people want to eat and sleep and see 14 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: their families. I have certainly pondered which tasks I can 15 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: get off my plate. I have delegated a great deal 16 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: in my business and in my personal life. However, as 17 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: I think about this question, I realize that there are 18 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: some things I don't want to take off my plate, 19 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: even if I can see the argument for doing so. 20 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: For instance, I love to hear from readers and listeners 21 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: if someone has taken the time to read my work 22 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: or listen to my work, and has written me their 23 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: thoughts about it. I want to acknowledge that. I want 24 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: to share my follow up ideas and hear what the 25 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: person thinks about those as well. So I read all 26 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: the messages I get from readers and listensteners, and I 27 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: respond to about ninety percent of them. Sometimes this can 28 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: be time consuming. I recently ran a time tracking challenge 29 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: where several thousand people kept track of their time for 30 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: a week. Many of those folks then sent me their 31 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: time logs afterwards with thoughts on their schedules and their lives. 32 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: Studying these time logs and responding to people's questions and 33 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: discoveries took at least an hour a day for several weeks. 34 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: It was pointed out to me somewhere in here that 35 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: I could have created some automatic responses or response templates, 36 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: or had somebody else helped me go through all this, 37 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: which is totally true. But I love learning about time. 38 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: I love seeing how people spend their time. I like 39 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: digging through the data so I really understand the choices 40 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: that people make. So even if this did take a 41 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: lot of time, I was glad to do it. Other 42 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: people might make different choices, but reading and responding to 43 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: my own messages works for me. Perhaps you, likewise, have 44 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: certain work tasks that you enjoy, even if they are 45 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: not necessarily the core of your job. Maybe you are 46 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: mostly in management, but you enjoy using your technical skills 47 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: from time to time. Maybe you are mostly acquiring new 48 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: book projects, but you still like editing a few on occasion. 49 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: You are mostly designing menus or training restaurant managers, but 50 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: you enjoy hopping in during the dinner rush to help out. 51 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: Or maybe there are tasks you do that you are 52 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: well aware could be done quicker. I can crank out 53 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: a blog post or newsletter quickly when I need to, 54 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: but sometimes I enjoy carving out extra time, coming back 55 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: to the work a few more times to tweak a 56 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: phrase or add a new angle. Does anyone notice or care? 57 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: Quite possibly not, But I enjoy it, so I do it. 58 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: There is no need to go overboard on these things. 59 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: We probably shouldn't spend all our time on lower value 60 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: tasks when we are responsible for the higher value ones 61 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: that pay the bills, but we don't need to offload 62 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: them completely either, or do everything at the absolute swiftest 63 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: speed efficiency isn't everything. It is a lot, but it 64 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: isn't everything. Best to keep it in perspective. In the meantime, 65 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 66 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 67 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 68 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 69 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number 70 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: four then breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an 71 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That 72 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 73 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 74 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 75 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 76 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.