1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: tip is that you get to choose how you spend 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: your time. In many cases, you do not have to 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: do things that are not paying off for you. With 6 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: the optional things in life, walking away is sometimes the 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: right call. Now. Today's episode is a bit of a 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: counterpoint to a recent one about how to stick with things. 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: I know that many people start big projects and then 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: abandon them because they don't work practically with their lives. 11 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: I think there are some smart strategies that can make 12 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: faithful execution more possible. Of course, I also know that 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: many people change their minds frequently about things. This can 14 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: be frustrating for everyone around them. But my hunch is 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: that the people who listen to this podcast quit things 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: less frequently than average. So today's episode is a friendly 17 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,199 Speaker 1: reminder that you can stop doing things if you want. 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: You get to choose. For instance, if you start a 19 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: nonfiction book that has got some useful information, but you 20 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: are pretty sure you've got the gist by the second 21 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: chapter in feel free to stop reading. There is absolutely 22 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: no requirement to finish. You are not going to get 23 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: quizzed on the book. You are not going to get 24 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: detention if you decide to let it go. Likewise, if 25 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: you go to a professional development conference and have gone 26 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: to some useful sessions but the last day just doesn't 27 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: look that relevant, feel free to leave or spend the 28 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: day having one on one meetings with people that's useful too. 29 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: There is no requirement to go to sessions just because 30 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: you registered for the conference. If you go to a 31 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: movie and you are bored in the middle, you can 32 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: go ahead and walk out. You should be nice about it, 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: be careful walking past anyone. But there is no reason 34 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: to stick with something that is supposed to be entertaining 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: if it is not entertaining you now. Obviously, in some 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: cases it is worth sticking with things for a little 37 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 1: while longer because there will be an impact on other people. 38 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: You probably don't want to quit your softball team mid season, 39 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: or drop out of a musical ensemble right before a concert, 40 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: or bow out of a volunteer commitment a few weeks 41 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: before the culmination of a big project. Stick with it 42 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: to the natural endpoint, but then you definitely don't need 43 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: to re up for softball for next year, or start 44 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: the next concert cycle. You can end your volunteer work 45 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: after your big project is finished. You do not have 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: to stick with things forever. Expectations are infinite. Time is finite, 47 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: so everything is a choice. All we can do is 48 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: choose well for what we want our lives to look like. 49 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: You may feel that once you have started something, you 50 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: need to finish it, but that is not always true. 51 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: Sometimes no one else will know or care if you 52 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: don't finish That book. Won't be hurt if you skip 53 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: a few chapters. The actors will never know if you 54 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: walked out of their movie before it was over. Even 55 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: your softball teammates will get it. If you don't play 56 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: next year, life happens. You get to choose how you 57 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: spend your time, and making wise choices leads to being 58 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: happier with life overall. In the meantime, this is Laura. 59 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 60 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 61 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 62 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 63 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, Please visit 64 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 65 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.