1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:16,959 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: tip is that none feels different from one. Even one 4 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: meeting or time specific commitment per day changes the feeling 5 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: of the day, so be careful how you arrange your schedule. 6 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: Longtime listeners know that I suggest scheduling one anchor event 7 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: a day on vacations or weekends. This is something that 8 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: you can look forward to and that will provide well 9 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: an anchor to the day. You have a reason to 10 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: get up and something to structure the day around, and 11 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: you will know at the end of the day that 12 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: you did something you enjoyed. The day didn't just flutter away. However, 13 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: this concept also works in reverse. If one scheduled event 14 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: a day changes the entire feeling of the day, then 15 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: if you don't want that sort of structure, you could 16 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: recognize that none feels very different from one. It might 17 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: be wise to clear any sort of commitments from a 18 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: day that you would like to have be open. I 19 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: am certainly aware of this when I am deep into 20 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: a writing or editing project and I am planning out 21 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: my weeks. I absolutely love to see a day where 22 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: I don't have anything scheduled. I mean outside of getting 23 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: everyone out the door in the morning and dealing with 24 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: my family after work. I'm talking more about seeing the 25 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: hours between eight am and four pm looking completely clear. 26 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: I like the idea of being able to work at 27 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: my own pace without needing to watch the clock until 28 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,919 Speaker 1: the end of the work day. It's not that having 29 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: one thirty minute call at one pm is such a 30 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: big deal. I mean, it's only thirty minutes. But I 31 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: also know that I will be aware of that phone 32 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: call on my calendar. I will likely stop working by 33 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: twelve fifty or so to make sure I am ready, 34 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: and I won't start anything big after noon that I 35 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: don't want to have interrupted. And you can see how 36 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: this goes. One event changes the entire feel of the day, 37 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: so best to be aware of this. Consequently, when I 38 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: am planning phone calls or interviews or anything else for 39 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: future weeks, I try to batch these things as much 40 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: as possible. If I already have something scheduled for two 41 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: pm on one particular day, I will try to put 42 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: other things on that day rather than putting them on 43 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: different days that might otherwise be open. Also, if I 44 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: am planning my week and looking at it and seeing 45 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,119 Speaker 1: that a given day has one not terribly urgent thing 46 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: on it, I might reach out to the other parties 47 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: and see if they are flexible. They might not be, 48 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: in which case I will deal with it, but if 49 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: they are, maybe I can create an open day. Again. 50 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: I know, not all kinds of work go like this. 51 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: In many corporate environments, it is almost impossible to keep 52 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: a day completely free of meetings. If that is the case, 53 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: then you do like to have some focused, uninterrupted time. 54 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: You might try thinking of lunch as a reset. You 55 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: don't schedule things before twelve thirty pm on a few days, 56 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: if that's possible, and try to preserve that space. I 57 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: know that if I do have to put one thing 58 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: on a day, difference is for around twelve to one pm, 59 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: because I will likely break for lunch at some point anyway, 60 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: so it is not quite as disruptive to the day's 61 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: flow as say a single eleven AM call. Or I 62 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: can put it right before my kids get home, so 63 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: something like three thirty PM, since I know I'll be 64 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: ending soon and I might be watching the clock by 65 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: then anyway. But even so, even one thing that's scheduled, 66 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: changes a schedule. Sometimes that is a good thing. I 67 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: have been home all day on a rainy Saturday with 68 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: my kids, and it can feel crazy. Making better to 69 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: go to the children's museum for a few hours from 70 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: let's say ten to noon and feel like the day 71 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: had an anchor. But sometimes it's less of a good thing. 72 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: If you are preserving space for creative work, it might 73 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: be better to take three calls on one day, then 74 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: one on each of three days. Having two open days 75 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: will allow you to get in the flow and not 76 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: watch the clock. Much as I love time, sometimes being 77 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: off the clock is a wonderful feeling. Indeed, in the meantime, 78 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 79 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 80 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 81 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 82 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 83 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 84 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.