1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: tip is that you won't come back to it. Your 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: future self is not going to magically have more time 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: and energy, So aim not to leave things undone with 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: the idea that you will revisit the project soon. You 7 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: probably won't do what you can do when you think 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: of it and realize that is probably what it's going 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 1: to be. So one of the things I have discovered 10 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: about time over the years is that people are wildly 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: optimistic about what their future selves will be capable of. 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: We actually put items like clean out attic on a 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: weekend to do list, as if a decade's worth of 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: accumulated stuff will be easily dispatched in our thirty six 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: waking weekend hours, and as if we'll want to devote 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: all thirty six of those waking weekend hours to this project. 17 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 1: We'll also do half a project, like start a photo book, 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: and then leave it thinking that even though it was 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: hard to find time for the first half of this project, 20 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: the second half will magically appear. Or we put an 21 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: item on the stairs rather than walk it all the 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: way to where it is going, as if our future 23 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 1: selves will be more capable of moving the item into place. 24 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: But the truth is that our future selves are going 25 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: to be very very similar to our current selves. Our 26 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: future selves will have the exact same amount of time 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: and energy. If it is limited now, it will be limited. Then. 28 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: Better to remind yourself that unless something becomes really urgent 29 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: or is incredibly important, you are not going to come 30 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: back to it, certainly not immediately and probably not for 31 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: a while unless you go on a finishing blitz or something. 32 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: But most people don't do that, So better to do 33 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: what you can do today, create projects for yourself based 34 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: on what you can do now and without creating future 35 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: to dos for yourself. If you can get to finishing quickly, 36 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: that is probably a good thing. So if you had 37 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: a nice weekend at a friend's lake house, don't intend 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: to spend time next weekend finding the perfect thank you 39 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: card and handwriting her a thank you note with printed 40 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: photos included. Most likely next weekend we'll have its own crises. Instead, 41 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: write a quick note as you're thinking about it, and 42 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: get it in the mail immediately. If you aren't anywhere 43 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: near paper and stamps, send a text with some photos 44 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: thanking her. You won't come back to it, so better 45 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: to do what you can do now after a meeting. 46 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: Don't assume you'll have some magical time in the future 47 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: to write up complete notes with a full analysis of 48 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: next steps. Just send your imperfect notes right after the 49 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: meeting when they are relevant. You won't come back to it, 50 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: and it's better to send the notes than not send 51 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: them or worry about this undone task for three weeks 52 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: until you realize it is pointless to send the notes 53 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: because they are so late. To be sure, sometimes it 54 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: might be worthwhile to wait to do something thoroughly, but 55 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: unless you are entirely confident that you will complete the 56 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: thorough job later, like there is a big block of 57 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: time carved out on your calendar and lots of accountability 58 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: for the task, the odds are it isn't going to happen. 59 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: You aren't going to come back to it. Your future 60 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: self probably won't have the time or inclination to do 61 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: what you're present self can't do now, so you're likely 62 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: better off doing a good enough job now instead of 63 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: imagining what you'd like to do in the future. In 64 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura, thanks for listening, and here's 65 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 66 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 67 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 68 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 69 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 70 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.