Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is to know why your work matters. Not only
Speaker 1: is it motivating and rewarding, to know what makes your
Speaker 1: work important. Knowing this can help you figure out what
Speaker 1: is the best use of your time. Today's tip, like
Speaker 1: another this week, comes from Will Guidara's book Unreasonable Hospitality,
Speaker 1: The Remarkable Power of giving People more than they expect.
Speaker 1: Guidara was a co owner and the general manager of
Speaker 1: the restaurant eleven Madison Park, and he draws on his
Speaker 1: experiences in hospitality to offer suggestions about how people in
Speaker 1: any contact next can make their customers, clients, or guests
Speaker 1: feel valued and take their work from good to legendary.
Speaker 1: Guidara asserts, without exception, no matter what you do, you
Speaker 1: can make a difference in someone's life. You must be
Speaker 1: able to name for yourself why your work matters. He
Speaker 1: distinguishes between real estate agents who sell houses and those
Speaker 1: who with a higher purpose sell homes. He writes, you
Speaker 1: can be in the financial services business or in the
Speaker 1: business of providing people with a plan so they can
Speaker 1: provide for their families. You can be in the insurance
Speaker 1: business or in the business of offering people the comfort
Speaker 1: of knowing they and their loved ones are covered, safe
Speaker 1: and secure no matter what happens. I think he's right.
Speaker 1: Whatever field we are in, it pays to know why
Speaker 1: we do what we do. I am helping people spend
Speaker 1: more time on what matters and less time on what doesn't.
Speaker 1: You might be teaching kids to read, or equipping formerly
Speaker 1: incarcerated people with skills to find a new job and
Speaker 1: build a new life. Maybe you are creating beauty and
Speaker 1: peace for city dwellers by caring for plants in a
Speaker 1: public garden. Maybe you are providing nourishment to families by
Speaker 1: designing smart packaging materials for food to be transported across
Speaker 1: the country. Take a moment to consider the why behind
Speaker 1: your work. What makes your work matter. It is motivating
Speaker 1: to find meaning in your work, and it feels good
Speaker 1: when people ask what you do to be able to
Speaker 1: respond not just with a job title, but with a purpose,
Speaker 1: but beyond that. When you stay connected to why your
Speaker 1: work matters, it is easier to differentiate between demands on
Speaker 1: your time that are essential and those that are less important.
Speaker 1: For instance, If you are a real estate agent who
Speaker 1: sees herself as connecting people with their homes instead of
Speaker 1: just selling houses, you'll realize that time spent seeing photos
Speaker 1: and hearing stories about a client's new grand baby isn't wasted.
Speaker 1: It's a window into how the family lives. You can
Speaker 1: help your client picture how the new grand baby would
Speaker 1: find a place in the family's new home. On the
Speaker 1: other hand, time spent pursuing extra credentials may not help
Speaker 1: you connect people with homes. When you know your why,
Speaker 1: you can wisely decide how to invest your time and skills.
Speaker 1: What makes your work matter. How does knowing the meaning
Speaker 1: of your work guide you as you do it. You
Speaker 1: can let me know at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod
Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then Breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled
Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I
Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
Speaker 1: favorite shows. H