1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to remember that a little inefficiency is okay. 4 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: If you are like a lot Before Breakfast listeners, you 5 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: subscribe to this podcast to get ideas about efficiency efficiently. 6 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: You spend five minutes listening to the podcast while simultaneously 7 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: getting dressed, commuting, or packing lunches, and then you have 8 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 1: a concrete idea for a way to make the most 9 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: of your time. And I am right there with you. 10 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: I love efficiency and intentionality about time use. I love 11 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: to do things in less time. When I lived New 12 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: York City, I always used to walk a certain route 13 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 1: to the subway because I had to wait for one 14 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: less light. I am quite annoyed that my current coffee 15 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: maker requires that you pour the water in slowly or 16 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: else the coffee pot drips. I want to pour faster. 17 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: But here is a key realization. It is most important 18 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: to be efficient and effective about the big things. Are 19 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: you in a job or otherwise spending your time in 20 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: a way that uses your talents and let's you make 21 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: a difference in the world. Have you built good relationships 22 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: with friends and family. Are you taking care of your health? 23 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: If so, great, you are spending your time well. And 24 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: if you are intentional about your time in the big 25 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: important ways, then you truly don't need to obsess about 26 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: every second. A little inefficiency is okay. Indeed, sometimes you 27 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:15,679 Speaker 1: can just embrace it. Take driving around in the car. 28 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: I have noticed that in this era of remote work, 29 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: some people have become obsessed with minimizing time in the car. 30 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: Folks who don't need to drive kids to school every 31 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: day can truly start to be grudge trips out of 32 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,839 Speaker 1: the house. Next thing you know, they are figuring out 33 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: how to batch all errands on a particular side of town, 34 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: timed to the exact moment when Ways says traffic will 35 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: be lightest. And if it gives you joy to strategize 36 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: how to make it to your dry cleaner and the 37 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: container store and the place where you get your sunglasses 38 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: repaired on one run while only making right turns, then 39 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: go for it. But you will spend a lot of 40 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: mental effort doing that. And to what end? If you 41 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: have planned your work week well and have strategized where 42 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: you will fit in your most important priorities and have 43 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: them all on the calendar, then well, maybe you can 44 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: make two trips. It will be okay. The same goes 45 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: with daily chores like cooking. Would it be more efficient 46 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: to cook a month's worth of cast roles and one 47 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: fell swoop and simply thaw one for dinner each night. Probably, 48 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: But cooking can be fun, and it can be nice 49 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: to make a meal inspired by local produce at the 50 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: farmer's market, or a recipe you saw in the newspaper, 51 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: or what you're in the mood for, not what you 52 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: decided in a flurry of meal prep weeks ago. If 53 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: you spent thirty minutes yesterday going to the dry cleaner 54 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: in the post office, thirty minutes cooking dinner and enjoying it, 55 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: and even thirty minutes on social media, that is ninety minutes. 56 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: That might not have been entirely efficient, but that is okay. 57 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: According to the most recent American Time You survey, Americans 58 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: spent an average of three point one hours per day 59 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: watching television last year. Except for the people who are 60 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: TV critics, a lot of that was probably wasted time. 61 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: In comparison, your extra thirty minutes on errands is just 62 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: not that big a deal. Neither is your time cooking dinner, 63 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: even if you could have gotten by on half of that. 64 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: So yes, aim for efficiency in Errand's life, maintenance and 65 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: anything else that is not a high priority for you. 66 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: But also maintain a sense of perspective. How long it 67 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: takes you to do your laundry or pick up your 68 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: target order is not going to determine how much you 69 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: get out of your life. Get the big things right. 70 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: Everything else matters a lot less in the meantime. This 71 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 72 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 73 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 74 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 75 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number 76 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: four then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot 77 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart 78 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with 79 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 80 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 81 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 82 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 83 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.