1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: Today's tip is for things you've just done and that 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: you'll do again, but maybe not for a while, make 5 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: notes to next time. These are notes to yourself about 6 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: what you did, what worked well, and what to do differently. 7 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:40,279 Speaker 1: Don't assume you'll remember everything you won't. Better to record 8 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: insights while they are fresh in your mind. Lots of 9 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: people make notes for next time on recipes. You write 10 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: in the margin of a cookbook. Actually, this took more 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: like thirty five minutes, or makes a ton plan to 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: share or freeze leftovers. People make notes on the recipes 13 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: because they assume that they will make the recipe again, 14 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: but that they probably won't remember the various insights they 15 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: had the last time they made it. The printed recipe 16 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: provides a natural place for a note that will jog 17 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: your memory. Notes to next time can be helpful in 18 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: other aspects of our lives too. I write down notes 19 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: on the sheet music I use for singing in choir. 20 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: I might think I'll remember that cut off, but I won't. 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: Next rehearsal it will be gone. Best to write it in. 22 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: But much of life lacks an obvious instruction sheet, and 23 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: so our insights get lost. We wind up learning things 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: the hard way over and over again, or we just 25 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: ordered too many holiday cards over and over again. How 26 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: to avoid this create your own universal note to next 27 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: time about anything you do repeatedly, but fairly rarely. This 28 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: can just be a simple document. You keep going on 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: your computer, think broadly about what can go on there. 30 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: Do all your kids wind up doing the same project 31 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: of building a bridge out of popsicle sticks or building 32 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: a pinewood derby car. Note what worked and what you 33 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: learned from the bridges or vehicles that one. If you 34 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: send holiday cards, make a note of how many you ordered. 35 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: We need to get kids passports every few years, and 36 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: so we've got that list of documentation well documented. Sometimes 37 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: apps that seem to understand humans help us remember this 38 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: to some degree. My grub Hub app tells me my 39 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: recent restaurants and shows me what I ordered last time. 40 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: Of course, it doesn't tell me whether I liked it, 41 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: so I need to make a note to myself to 42 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: skip the French fries from that one place. Or just 43 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: because I keep ordering the dragon roll doesn't mean I 44 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: actually like the dragon role. Notes to next time are 45 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: great at work too, particularly for projects or tasks that 46 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: you do just a time or two a year, big events, mailings, 47 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: and the like. Indicate the steps you followed, the colleagues 48 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,119 Speaker 1: who are involved, the timeline, and any thoughts about doing 49 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: things differently. It's also a great idea to have your 50 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: direct reports create notes to next time for any projects 51 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: where they have a key role. That way they get 52 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: the institutional knowledge out of their heads and onto paper, 53 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: so you are not counting on them to remember how 54 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: to perform the task successfully the next time it comes up. 55 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: They've got notes to remind them. And if they're in 56 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: another role or no longer at your organization, when the 57 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: project rolls around again, well, you'll be able to hand 58 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: their successor a summary of what was done last time 59 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: and how to do it even better this time. Notes 60 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: to next time documents enable you to learn from your 61 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: experiences and have a process that gets better each time around. 62 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: So in the coming weeks at work and at home, 63 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: as you handle projects that will come up again in 64 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: the future, make your own notes to next time. You 65 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: will get the full benefit of everything you've learned in 66 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's 67 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 68 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 69 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 70 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's B the 71 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 72 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia 73 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 74 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 75 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 76 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 77 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 78 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.