WEBVTT - How to do a weekend to-do list well

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is about how to do a weekend to

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<v Speaker 1>do list. Well, we all want to relax on weekends,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you have things that need to get done,

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<v Speaker 1>there are certain strategies that can help you accomplish what

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<v Speaker 1>you need to without your feeling like the weekend has

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<v Speaker 1>just disappeared and to have to do stuff. So, if

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<v Speaker 1>you are like me, your weekends probably don't feature a

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<v Speaker 1>ton of open space that you can use for whatever

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<v Speaker 1>you desire. Your kids have activities, and plus they need

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<v Speaker 1>to be fed and cared for. Even if we are

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<v Speaker 1>all just sitting around the house, someone has to be

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<v Speaker 1>with the toddler constantly. Accomplishing anything beyond basic life maintenance

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<v Speaker 1>is doable, but it's challenging. That can be an issue

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<v Speaker 1>because inevitably there are things beyond basic life maintenance that

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<v Speaker 1>do need to be accomplished over the weekend. Maybe some

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<v Speaker 1>task or errand didn't happen during the week, some periodic

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<v Speaker 1>chore like getting the kid's haircut needs to happen, or

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<v Speaker 1>maybe it's an ongoing house project. In my case, I

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<v Speaker 1>am trying to empty out the boxes in the guest

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<v Speaker 1>bedroom so we actually have a usable guest bedroom. Often

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<v Speaker 1>these projects can take any amount of time. We give

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<v Speaker 1>them productive sorts. Know to make to do lists for

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<v Speaker 1>the week, so we make to do lists for the

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<v Speaker 1>weekend too. But sure enough people commit the same to

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<v Speaker 1>do list sins for the weekend to do lists that

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<v Speaker 1>they do on the workday ones The first sin the

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<v Speaker 1>list is overly ambitious. You will not get through a

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<v Speaker 1>six month backlog of home projects this weekend or next

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<v Speaker 1>weekend too. Have you seen how much else is going on?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think you are going to stumble upon some

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<v Speaker 1>magical well of superhuman energy. You cannot unpack the whole

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<v Speaker 1>guest room and weed the flower bed and plant a

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<v Speaker 1>dozen roses, and fill out all the camp forms and

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<v Speaker 1>read through your employee review files and bake banana bread

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<v Speaker 1>with those bananas that are going bad all before Sunday night.

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<v Speaker 1>When we make lengthy to do lists, we don't get

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<v Speaker 1>through everything on the list. For a to do list

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<v Speaker 1>to work, it needs to be a contract with yourself.

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<v Speaker 1>You are only putting something on the list because you

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<v Speaker 1>actively play in to do it. You plan to do

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<v Speaker 1>it even with everything else that is going on and

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<v Speaker 1>everything else that might come up. That means the list

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<v Speaker 1>needs to be short. The second to do list sin

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<v Speaker 1>is vagueness. To do lists need to be specific, what

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<v Speaker 1>camp forms, which employee review files, how much of the

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<v Speaker 1>guest room are we talking A doable weekend to do

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<v Speaker 1>list might include unpacking two boxes in the guest room,

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<v Speaker 1>making that banana bread, and reviewing one employee file because

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<v Speaker 1>you are meeting with that person on Tuesday and you

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<v Speaker 1>can see that Monday is going to be swamped. Everything

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<v Speaker 1>else is going to have to happen at some other time,

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<v Speaker 1>or maybe it won't happen. Now. That might sound like

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<v Speaker 1>giving up, but I think it is more are discouraging

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<v Speaker 1>to put twenty items on the list and then not

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<v Speaker 1>feel like you've done anything, even if you have done

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<v Speaker 1>a reasonable number of them. If you put three specific

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<v Speaker 1>things on the list, the two boxes, the banana bread,

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<v Speaker 1>and one file, you will probably do them. Then you

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<v Speaker 1>will feel like you are moving forward. You will feel accomplished.

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<v Speaker 1>And when you have done those things, or have identified

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<v Speaker 1>times when you will do those things, then you can

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<v Speaker 1>let yourself off the hook for the rest of the time.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't need to feel bad when you are watching

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<v Speaker 1>your toddler that you aren't reading the rest of the

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<v Speaker 1>employee files. Now, you won't feel relaxed, because watching a

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<v Speaker 1>toddler usually isn't relaxing, but you won't feel like you

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<v Speaker 1>should be doing something else, which tends to be the

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<v Speaker 1>major source of weekend stress. In the meantime. This is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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