1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to stick with your systems. More often 4 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: than not, you will be better off maintaining a good 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: enough system then searching for the elusive perfect system. Most 6 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: stuff works if you stick with it. You just have 7 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: to keep going. This is the time of year when 8 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: even the most conscientious among us may be wearying of 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: the systems we started in January. Maybe you bought a 10 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: fancy planner to hold all your two dues, but you 11 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: are annoyed at the motivational quotes at the top of 12 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: each page. You decided to start grocery shopping on Mondays 13 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: during your lunch break so you wouldn't have to brave 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 1: the weekend crowds, but you are finding this errand makes 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: a long day feel even longer. You started using a 16 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: budgeting app to trim your spending, but now you are 17 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: feeling resentful that you have got one more thing to 18 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: deal with in your weekly life maintenance session. It is 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: tempting to ditch your adequate but annoying systems. You may 20 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: held out hope that there is a perfect system out 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: there a planner with only quotes. You like a budget 22 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: app that somehow requires absolutely zero work from you. I 23 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe it is possible, but the time you 24 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: invest in finding and starting a new system, which probably 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: won't be perfect either, is not likely to be worth it. Indeed, 26 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: stopping and starting new systems often derails us from our goals. 27 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: If you are finding a new system mostly helpful but 28 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: just slightly annoying, here's an idea. Mostly helpful is a win. 29 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: Put stickers over the sappy quotes. Enjoy a beer while 30 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: you use your budget app, but just keep using it. 31 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: When you have a system that is a decent fit 32 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: and you use it consistently, it will yield benefits over time. 33 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: Any budget system that you faithfully maintain will give you 34 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: insights into your spending. Any planner that you actually use 35 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: can help you keep track of your obligations. So unless 36 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: the system is a total mismatch, like the planner you 37 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: bought is so heavy that you're getting back pain from 38 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: carrying it around, aimed to stick with any new system 39 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: for at least a full quarter before you decide it 40 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: is not for you now. The one qualification to this 41 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: recommendation is if you find you have duplicate systems or 42 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: a system solving a problem that you don't actually have. 43 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: You don't need to record the books you've read in 44 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: good Reads and a book journal unless you want to. 45 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: In fact, you don't need to record the books you've 46 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: read it all if it's not adding to your life. Likewise, 47 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: if you use a digital calendar, you probably don't need 48 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: to record your appointments in a paper planner too. If 49 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: you realize a system is not valuable to you, then 50 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: let it go. But in general, if you consistently use 51 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: any good enough system, it will probably serve you well. 52 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: It is your persistence in using it, not the perfection 53 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: of the match, that generates success. So persist. In the meantime, 54 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making 55 00:03:55,320 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: the most of our time. M Hey, everybody, I'd love 56 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 57 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 58 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E 59 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: the number four, then breakfast p o D. You can 60 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at 61 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com That Before Breakfast is spelled 62 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 63 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 64 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 65 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,679 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 66 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.