WEBVTT - A little inefficiency is OK

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to remember that a little inefficiency is okay.

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<v Speaker 1>If you are like a lot Before Breakfast listeners, you

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<v Speaker 1>subscribe to this podcast to get ideas about efficiency efficiently.

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<v Speaker 1>You spend five minutes listening to the podcast while simultaneously

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<v Speaker 1>getting dressed, commuting, or packing lunches, and then you have

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<v Speaker 1>a concrete idea for a way to make the most

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<v Speaker 1>of your time. And I am right there with you.

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<v Speaker 1>I love efficiency and intentionality about time use. I love

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<v Speaker 1>to do things in less time. When I lived New

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<v Speaker 1>York City, I always used to walk a certain route

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<v Speaker 1>to the subway because I had to wait for one

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<v Speaker 1>less light. I am quite annoyed that my current coffee

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<v Speaker 1>maker requires that you pour the water in slowly or

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<v Speaker 1>else the coffee pot drips. I want to pour faster.

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<v Speaker 1>But here is a key realization. It is most important

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<v Speaker 1>to be efficient and effective about the big things. Are

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<v Speaker 1>you in a job or otherwise spending your time in

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<v Speaker 1>a way that uses your talents and let's you make

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<v Speaker 1>a difference in the world. Have you built good relationships

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<v Speaker 1>with friends and family. Are you taking care of your health?

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<v Speaker 1>If so, great, you are spending your time well. And

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<v Speaker 1>if you are intentional about your time in the big

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<v Speaker 1>important ways, then you truly don't need to obsess about

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<v Speaker 1>every second. A little inefficiency is okay. Indeed, sometimes you

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<v Speaker 1>can just embrace it. Take driving around in the car.

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<v Speaker 1>I have noticed that in this era of remote work,

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<v Speaker 1>some people have become obsessed with minimizing time in the car.

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<v Speaker 1>Folks who don't need to drive kids to school every

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<v Speaker 1>day can truly start to be grudge trips out of

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<v Speaker 1>the house. Next thing you know, they are figuring out

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<v Speaker 1>how to batch all errands on a particular side of town,

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<v Speaker 1>timed to the exact moment when Ways says traffic will

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<v Speaker 1>be lightest. And if it gives you joy to strategize

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<v Speaker 1>how to make it to your dry cleaner and the

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<v Speaker 1>container store and the place where you get your sunglasses

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<v Speaker 1>repaired on one run while only making right turns, then

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<v Speaker 1>go for it. But you will spend a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>mental effort doing that. And to what end? If you

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<v Speaker 1>have planned your work week well and have strategized where

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<v Speaker 1>you will fit in your most important priorities and have

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<v Speaker 1>them all on the calendar, then well, maybe you can

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<v Speaker 1>make two trips. It will be okay. The same goes

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<v Speaker 1>with daily chores like cooking. Would it be more efficient

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<v Speaker 1>to cook a month's worth of cast roles and one

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<v Speaker 1>fell swoop and simply thaw one for dinner each night. Probably,

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<v Speaker 1>But cooking can be fun, and it can be nice

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<v Speaker 1>to make a meal inspired by local produce at the

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<v Speaker 1>farmer's market, or a recipe you saw in the newspaper,

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<v Speaker 1>or what you're in the mood for, not what you

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<v Speaker 1>decided in a flurry of meal prep weeks ago. If

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<v Speaker 1>you spent thirty minutes yesterday going to the dry cleaner

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<v Speaker 1>in the post office, thirty minutes cooking dinner and enjoying it,

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<v Speaker 1>and even thirty minutes on social media, that is ninety minutes.

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<v Speaker 1>That might not have been entirely efficient, but that is okay.

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<v Speaker 1>According to the most recent American Time You survey, Americans

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<v Speaker 1>spent an average of three point one hours per day

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<v Speaker 1>watching television last year. Except for the people who are

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<v Speaker 1>TV critics, a lot of that was probably wasted time.

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<v Speaker 1>In comparison, your extra thirty minutes on errands is just

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<v Speaker 1>not that big a deal. Neither is your time cooking dinner,

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<v Speaker 1>even if you could have gotten by on half of that.

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<v Speaker 1>So yes, aim for efficiency in Errand's life, maintenance and

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<v Speaker 1>anything else that is not a high priority for you.

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<v Speaker 1>But also maintain a sense of perspective. How long it

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<v Speaker 1>takes you to do your laundry or pick up your

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<v Speaker 1>target order is not going to determine how much you

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<v Speaker 1>get out of your life. Get the big things right.

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<v Speaker 1>Everything else matters a lot less in the meantime. This

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

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<v Speaker 1>most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear

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<v Speaker 1>from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number

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<v Speaker 1>four then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot

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<v Speaker 1>me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart

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<v Speaker 1>media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with

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<v Speaker 1>all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I

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<v Speaker 1>heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit

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