1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: Today's episode is going to be a longer one part 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 2: of the series where I interview fascinating people about how 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 2: they take their days from great to awesome and any 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 2: advice they have for the rest of us. So today 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 2: I'm delighted to welcome Nicholas Thompson to Before Breakfast. Nick 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 2: is the CEO of The Atlantic and the author of 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 2: the new book The Running Ground, which is a memoir 10 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: about his family and his amateur but very. 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: Serious running life. So Nick, welcome to the show. 12 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 3: Thanks Laura, it's nice to be here. 13 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: Well, thanks thanks for coming on. Why don't you tell 14 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 2: our listeners a little bit about yourself. 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 3: Well, I'm CEO of The Atlantic, which is an amazing 16 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 3: publication covers American life. It's been around since eighteen fifty seven, 17 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thiau Harry 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: Beacher Stowe try to prevent a civil war. We try 19 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 3: to publish smart, thoughtful, interesting pieces about the world. I 20 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 3: used to work at Wired. I was the editor there. 21 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 3: Before that, I worked at The New Yorker and I 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 3: run probably more than as healthy. 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was just thinking, those are some big shoes 24 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,559 Speaker 2: to fill on the Atlantic side. Hopefully we'll prevent any 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 2: future civil wars, even if they didn't succeed on that. 26 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: But I want to talk with you mostly today about 27 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 2: running and your schedule because this is a productivity podcast, 28 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 2: so people want to hear about how you're fitting that in. 29 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 2: But first, I mean, most people assume like athletic achievements 30 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 2: are something that happen when you're on the younger side, 31 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: you know, maybe like your twenties, and yet you actually 32 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: had your biggest running successes as is a not so 33 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: young anymore person. Can you tell us a little bit 34 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: about your an old person? Can you tell us a 35 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: little bit about your running journey? 36 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 3: Yeah? Sure. I started running when I was a little kid. 37 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 3: My dad it would take me running when I was 38 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: five or six, and then I kind of stopped and 39 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 3: ran again in high school. It was pretty good in 40 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: high school, but not good enough for college. My twenties, 41 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 3: I ran started running marathons, tried to break three hours, 42 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 3: broke when I was thirty. In my thirties, I was 43 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 3: pretty good. I ran like two forty three for a marathon, 44 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 3: which is good. I ran that over and over again. 45 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 3: But then in my mid forties you got much better. 46 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 3: And I ran a two twenty nine marathon, which is 47 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 3: quite fast, and then I set the American record in 48 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 3: the fifty k and then I ran, you know, one 49 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 3: of the fastest times in the world for a fifty 50 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 3: mile for my age. And so that's that's really quite 51 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 3: a bit different. So I was much faster in my 52 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 3: forties than in my thirties. 53 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: And that was when you had a more demanding career 54 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: and a family as well. 55 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 3: Right, Yes, three young boys, a demanding career, all kinds 56 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 3: of obligations in life, It's true. 57 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 2: So I think people are going to want to hear 58 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: about how you make this work. I mean, in your 59 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: peak of training, like going up to a big race 60 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 2: that you were training for, about how many hours a 61 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: week does that involve. 62 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 3: It's like eight hours or running, right, So I'm running 63 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 3: about seventy miles a week. Figure I'm running about seven 64 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: minutes a mile, so that's four hundred ninety minutes. That's 65 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 3: eight hours and ten minutes. There's a you know a 66 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 3: little bit extra time for showering, you know, that kind 67 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 3: of stuff. Juice. 68 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: Is I hear beat juice is involved? 69 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 3: I did I drank just beat us like an hour ago. 70 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 3: Do you drink a big, big amount of beach uice? 71 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 3: You know that you do. Do you focus a little 72 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 3: more on your diet, You focus a little more on 73 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: your recovery. You focus a little bit on cross training, 74 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 3: though not that much. You know, I might stretch a 75 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: little more on zoom calls than I do on most 76 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 3: other zoom calls. I might be, you know, testing out 77 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 3: my achilles tendon later on this call. 78 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: But eight to ten hours is I guess not as 79 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 2: much as one might imagine. No. 80 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 3: You know, this is one of the nice things about running. Right, 81 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 3: if you're a professional cyclist or you're an elite cyclist, 82 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: you're spending like twenty hours a week, right. If you're 83 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 3: a swimmer, it's twenty hours week. If you're soccer players, 84 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: like thirty hours a week running. You're bounded because you 85 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 3: can't really run more than one hundred miles a week 86 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: without cracking, And so there's a certain time. Now. I 87 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 3: also am hyper efficient about those eight to ten hours, 88 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 3: because you know, I'm COO the Atlantic. I'm supposed to 89 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 3: spend my job doing my spend my day doing my job. 90 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 3: So I run to and from the office today, like 91 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: I'll tell you how I ran today, right, So I 92 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 3: dropped my kids at school at eight thirty. I had 93 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 3: a panel at nine forty in Lower Manhattan where I 94 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 3: had to wear a suit, so I dropped the kids 95 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: at school. I had to get a friend to sign 96 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 3: books that I'm giving away his present, so I ran 97 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 3: to his house with a backpack full of books. He 98 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 3: signed them. I ran home, took about five minutes to 99 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 3: shower and change my suit, got on the subway, ran 100 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 3: from the subway to my panel because I thought I 101 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 3: was gonna be late. Did my panel, then came back 102 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 3: to Brooklyn on the subway for a meeting. Did the meeting, 103 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 3: but the meeting ended at one, and I had my 104 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 3: next he's maybe at end at one thirty, and at 105 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 3: my next meeting at two, and I had to do 106 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 3: a phone call. So I ran from Brooklyn to Manhattan 107 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 3: while doing a phone call with my head of comms about, 108 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: you know, sort of a strategy question. So I got 109 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 3: I don't know, seven miles of running in today, all 110 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 3: of which was like part of work, so you know, 111 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 3: And it was actually the most efficient mode of transportation 112 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 3: around this fine city of New York was running. So 113 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 3: I wore these I wore these shoes that actually I 114 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: have one pair of shoes, these Tracksmith Eliot hairs, and 115 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 3: they're like kind of stylish. I'm wearing if you're not 116 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 3: able to see him wearing a like blue suit, pink shirt. 117 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 3: And I've got these like nice white shoes that look 118 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 3: okay on stage and they you run pretty well in them, 119 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 3: so it's quite durable. So in the backpack at some 120 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 3: point I'm running with a suit at some point in 121 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 3: runing these books, but I'm just getting around. 122 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna say I have logistical questions here 123 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 2: because at least one of those runs, and possibly two 124 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: of them, it sounded like you were wearing business clothes 125 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: to run. 126 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 3: Has changed? I changed? I changed. I can't change very 127 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 3: quickly in the bathroom into my shorts. I'm not running 128 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 3: in this suit. 129 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: Only run in the suit was when you were late 130 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: to the event. 131 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 3: When that was the only time about Yeah, there, I 132 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 3: was running in my suit. And I'm sure there's a 133 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 3: security camera in Manhattan that someone is looking at the running. 134 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 3: Why is this guy in this like Paul Smith suit, 135 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 3: like sprinting across Liberty Street. 136 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: Okay, but the others it was a quick change. 137 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then there was a shower in the morning, 138 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 2: that's right, that's in the afternoon. 139 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 3: That was you gotta stay cleanly, you gotta stay cleanly. 140 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 2: Okay, all right, So but it sounds like you managed 141 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,559 Speaker 2: to fit that in very quickly. You're you're a master 142 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 2: of transitions here. 143 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 3: I'm very good at transitions. I'm very good at like, Yeah, 144 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 3: I'm very good at squeezing runs in. Like I'd love 145 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 3: to run, I know, and if if I had more 146 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 3: time to run, I would be a better runner. And 147 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 3: so that means that if I can be more efficient 148 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 3: about getting my runs in, I can be a better runner. 149 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 3: And so the challenge to me is just finding the time. 150 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 3: Like tomorrow, I'm not gonna able to run. I like, 151 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 3: i fly to Austin at six in the morning, and 152 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 3: I'm there until I'm on like events all day, and 153 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 3: then I fly back and return at midnight. There's zero 154 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 3: time to run, So I can't run tomorrow. So it'd 155 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 3: be good to run today. 156 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and running sometimes with a backpack on as well, 157 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: is what I'm hearing. 158 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, right here, So you can actually see the remnants 159 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 3: of it backpack, and in it I've got the sweatshirt 160 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 3: and the T shirt and the shorts that I ran 161 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 3: and so you know, it depends. I have another event 162 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 3: tonight and I'll run home afterwards, spending what time it is. 163 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 3: Get another five miles in? 164 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: All right, Well, so that we've added up to about 165 00:06:58,440 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 2: like twelve miles today. 166 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 3: Bad day, Not a bad day at all. All right. 167 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 2: Well, we're going to take a quick ad break and 168 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 2: then we'll be back with a little bit more from 169 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: Nick Thompson on his time management techniques here. 170 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks, Well, I am back. 171 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: I am talking with Nick Thompson, who is the CEO 172 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 2: of the Atlantic. He is also a very serious runner, 173 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: has set a couple records for his age. 174 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: Group in terms of distance races. 175 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 2: So how did you figure out the day like as 176 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: you were looking at this upcoming day? I mean, obviously 177 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 2: you probably have your stuff with you a lot of 178 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 2: the time to seize moments. But did you plot out 179 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 2: the day and say, oh, that's where a run could fit. 180 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: I mean, what did that look like? 181 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, normally I'll do that. I'll plot out Sometimes I'll 182 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 3: plot out the week, like Okay, look, it looks like 183 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 3: I can run. Like I have an hour on Thursday, 184 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 3: I can run on Thursday, right, so maybe I'll get 185 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 3: to work out in there. My default is I just 186 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 3: run to the office and from the office. Sometimes you 187 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: give a problem because you have to wear a suit 188 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 3: during the day. You don't suit at the office. You 189 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: don't have clean close at the office, so you have 190 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 3: to arrange arrange that. But I plot out my day. 191 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 3: So what I do is I wake up at six 192 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 3: and I look at my trailer board, which has this 193 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 3: is what I'm going to do now. That's what I'm 194 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 3: going to do today, That's what I'm gonna do soon. 195 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 3: These are the five most important things I'm going to 196 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 3: do today. Here's a list of like household taks I 197 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 3: have to do. Here's a list of like book related 198 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 3: tasks I have to do. Right And so I you know, 199 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 3: I'm moving things across the trailer board. I'm trying to prioritize. 200 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 3: I'm trying to do the hardest stuff first. And as 201 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: I'm doing that, I sometimes I'm thinking, Okay, when am 202 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 3: I going to run and what am I going to run? 203 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: And so then then you just make that happen once. 204 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 3: Then I just make that happen. And like when sometimes 205 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 3: I get in enough runs and sometimes I don't. 206 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: How far is it to the office from your house? 207 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: What is that run commute? 208 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:48,599 Speaker 3: So the shortest way to do it, it would be 209 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 3: over the Manhattan Bridge, and so that's like three point 210 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 3: eight miles, but it's not very pleasant because you run 211 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,599 Speaker 3: across the Manhattan Bridge and trains are really loud. So 212 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 3: the Brooklyn Bridge is more pleasant and that's about four 213 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,719 Speaker 3: and a half. And then the way Siamsburg Bridge is 214 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 3: the most pleasant because it's kind of at least crowded. 215 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 3: It's you can run along with Brooken Waterfront. That's about 216 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 3: five miles. And so depend on how much time I have, 217 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 3: I take one of those three roots. 218 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, that can be a very beautiful commute at least 219 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 2: some of the time. Do you do this in the 220 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: snow and rain as well? 221 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 3: Every day? Every day? There's never been the only time 222 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 3: where conditions I didn't do it was one Hurricane Sandy 223 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 3: hit and that was just because there was like a 224 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 3: you were like, it's like police warnings not to go out. 225 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 3: I would have run otherwise. Yeah, because once you start 226 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 3: to worry about the weather, then you're done, you know, 227 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 3: as soon as like, as soon as you like. There 228 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 3: are too many factors, right, it is too narrowly whindwing 229 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 3: which I can run. And if I also like wade 230 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 3: the weather, I would run like three miles a year. 231 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, it sounds like you're fitting it in. 232 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: I wonder do you ever, I mean, sometimes when people 233 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 2: who are listening to this so like I would like 234 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 2: to devote a lot of time to something that is 235 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 2: important to me that is not work and is not family. 236 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 2: I mean, do you ever have any sort of guilt 237 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 2: about having a very serious hobby outside of those things. 238 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 3: A little bit? You know, obviously like a so I 239 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 3: minimize the amount of time it takes away from working family, right, 240 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 3: but it doesn't take away zero. And I try very 241 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 3: hard to minimize the impact on my family. You know, 242 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 3: if I'm going for a twenty mile run, I try 243 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 3: to do it before the kids wake up. But the 244 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: cost is not zero, and so I do feel some guilt. 245 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 3: And then the way I justify it is, you know, 246 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 3: it helps clear my mind. It's like an important part 247 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 3: of who I am, and it also sets an example 248 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 3: for the children, right they you know, they they love 249 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 3: that I'm fast. They are like they give me. I 250 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 3: ran the New York Marathon last week. I didn't do well, right, 251 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 3: I didn't do as well as I hoped. Right, I 252 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 3: missed my goal. Everybody in the world was positive. Everybody 253 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 3: was like, good job, Nick. You know, marathons are great. 254 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 3: It's beautiful. What a beautiful The other cards except for 255 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 3: my kids, who were like, Dad, that's stunk. 256 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: You know, they know what you're capable of. Like that 257 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: was not a two twenty nine, we can sell you. 258 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: In fact, what my son said was bury that garbage. 259 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Yeah, my goodness. 260 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 3: It's like the only it's like my son and David Goggins, 261 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 3: like the only people who would say that. 262 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: Are they runners as well? 263 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 3: The three boys. Yeah, my life doesn't run. She's former dancer, 264 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 3: so she's very active and understands kind of like physical, 265 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 3: you know, physically, what it means to care a lot 266 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 3: about preparation. The two of those younger boys run a 267 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 3: lot and are quick, good at it. 268 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's fun when you get to go with them. 269 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 2: So you talk a little bit about I mean, the 270 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 2: morning routine features a morning commute. Do you have anything 271 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 2: else that's regular part of your morning routine. 272 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's pre structured. So you know, I get up, 273 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 3: I like get up the kids. The kids wake up 274 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 3: at seven, so it's six forty five. So I'm basically 275 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,599 Speaker 3: working from six to six forty five. When I was 276 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 3: writing the book, that was off in the window where 277 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 3: I would work on the book. Now I'm, you know, 278 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 3: doing other work. So then at six forty five, I 279 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 3: start making breakfast. I make them a breakfast, I set 280 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 3: the table in the kitchen. You know, they come down. 281 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 3: I'm usually listening to news podcasts then, so I can 282 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 3: catch up on the news and then til they're down. 283 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 3: Once they're down, I'm starting to talk with you know. 284 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 3: Then they come down, We're like doing homework together. We're 285 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: hanging out together. Sometimes we go to the gym together. 286 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 3: Then I walked them to school at eight fifteen, and 287 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 3: then I had to work. 288 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: All right, excellent, Well, we love morning routines on this show. 289 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 2: I have a question Nick about this, because do you 290 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 2: ever wonder, given that you were so fast in your forties, 291 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 2: if you could have been faster in your twenties than 292 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 2: you were, or is it sort of a mental thing 293 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 2: that you have developed over time with experience that has 294 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 2: allowed you to reach new running goals. 295 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 3: No, I should I shouldn't have way faster? Okay, I 296 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 3: correct could run a two twenty like obviously you know 297 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 3: if I can run a two twenty nine at age 298 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 3: forty four working it into this ridiculous busy life I have, 299 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 3: Like how fast could I run? If i'd like moved 300 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 3: a flag staff and like devoted myself to running, I 301 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 3: would I would have crushed it? But whatever, I made 302 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 3: other choices in life. 303 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: You made other choices in life. 304 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 2: And another question for you, because I have I've run 305 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 2: one marathon in my life. It was a painful experience 306 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: done a few halfs also fairly painful. What is going 307 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 2: through your brain when you run, and especially towards the 308 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 2: end of a longer run. 309 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: What are you doing to sort of keep yourself focused 310 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: at that point? 311 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 3: All right? In a longer race or in a longer 312 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 3: like workout, or just say either one. 313 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess it's slightly different, wouldn't it be? 314 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 3: So in a race I'm focused, right, I'm just like 315 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 3: thinking about the person ahead of me, the person behind me. 316 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 3: I'm trying to like run on the flattest part of 317 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 3: the road to put minimal impact on my body. I'm 318 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 3: trying to run like straight tangents. I'm like, you know, 319 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 3: basically thinking about my breath. I'm thinking about my heart rate. 320 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 3: I'm like, I'm just like fully focused on Nick's forward 321 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: motion and efficiency, right, and if my brain is wandering 322 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 3: and I'm stressed, I'm like repeating different mantras, like you know, 323 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 3: thinking about how my feet are hitting the pavement, trying 324 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:53,319 Speaker 3: to like do I'm like using tricks that I know 325 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 3: to keep myself concentrated on task. Like that's a race, 326 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 3: you know. By the end of the race, I've like, 327 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 3: I'm so burnt, I can't think of anything, right, I'm 328 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,239 Speaker 3: just like, you know, you're just you're like on autopilot. 329 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 3: You know, You're running around and you go around like 330 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 3: you're on Central Park South and all these people are 331 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 3: screaming for him, like go Nick, and you have no 332 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,719 Speaker 3: idea who they are, right, you can't see them, right, 333 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 3: you have no peripheral vision. Right. So that's the end 334 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 3: of a race. At the end of a long run, 335 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 3: I'm just thinking about whatever I'm thinking about, Like I 336 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 3: could go if I had a day and I had 337 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 3: no responsibilities, which just doesn't exist. I would go run 338 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 3: for forty miles, right, and I would just go run 339 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 3: through the woods, and my mind would be clear, and 340 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 3: I would be like thinking about the blue jays and 341 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 3: the sky and like looking at the clouds, and you know, 342 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,119 Speaker 3: memories would be flowing back of nice things in childhood, 343 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 3: and you know, I just like i'd be thinking through 344 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 3: complex problems, like there's nothing better than the way my 345 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 3: mind rather than that than me than the way my 346 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 3: mind works when I'm off like running in the woods. 347 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 3: So they're pretty different. 348 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: Are you listening to music or podcasts or you're just 349 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: going with the flow. 350 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 3: So if I'm I, I listen to almost never listen 351 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 3: to music. I listen to podcasts. If I'm in like 352 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 3: efficiency mode, right, I'm like running to work. I'm running 353 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 3: in the city from someplace beautiful. I'm trying to let 354 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 3: my mind go. And if I'm in a workout, I 355 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 3: don't listen to anything, like I'm trying to learn about 356 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 3: my body. 357 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: I got it all right. 358 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 2: Well, we're going to take one more quick ad break 359 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 2: and then I will be back with more from Nick Thompson. Well, 360 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 2: I am back talking with Nick Thompson, who is the 361 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 2: CEO of the Atlantic the author of the new book 362 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 2: The Running Ground, which we've been talking about how he 363 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 2: fits running into his life, but a lot of it 364 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 2: is a memoir of his relationship with his father, who 365 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 2: is also a fairly serious runner, which is a complicated 366 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 2: relationship for sure. 367 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, my dad was a really complicated man. He was 368 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 3: a man who you know, came from very little rose 369 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 3: to great heights, had many things predicted for him, and 370 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 3: then struggled with alcohol, struggled with understanding his sexuality, eventually 371 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 3: realized he was gay. I struggled with discipline, eventually ended 372 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 3: up bankrupt, and struggled with sex addiction, and ended up 373 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 3: more or less running a male brothel in Southeast Asia. 374 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 3: So you know, complicated ups and downs. Right. People used 375 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 3: to say, what is your what do your parents do? 376 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 3: It's like, Oh, my mother's an art historian in Boston 377 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 3: and my dad runs a male brothel in Bali. And 378 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 3: they'd be. 379 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 2: Like what that's a conversation starter for sure, or conversation stopper. 380 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: But he did run through this whole thing, I mean, 381 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: all his issues. 382 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, he you know, he ran. He taught me to 383 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 3: run when I was a little kid. I mean he 384 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 3: really started running when he was about forty when his 385 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 3: life was really coming undone. And this is the running 386 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 3: boom of the late seventies. Everybody's putting on their shoes. 387 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 3: He runs the New York Marathon in nineteen eighty two. 388 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 3: I go and watch him. He runs a couple other marathons. 389 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 3: You know, he loved running. He found something in it. 390 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 3: It was a way of him keeping the kind of 391 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 3: demons that were devouring him at Bay. And then he 392 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 3: and I would run together when I was a teenager, 393 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 3: when I was in my tw when I was in 394 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 3: my thirties, would go run a few miles down the road. 395 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 3: I loved running with him. And then when I got good, 396 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 3: he cheered me on as you know, as loudly as anybody. Yeah. 397 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 2: Well, there's a lot to explore in the in the memoir, 398 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: and I suggest people read it if they want to 399 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 2: learn more about that. But you know, just in terms 400 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 2: of for this podcast, in our listenership, we love productivity tips. 401 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 2: And you are managing a large organization, yeah, and a 402 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: lot of people who are, you know, very good at 403 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 2: what they do. I'm curious if you have any sort 404 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 2: of productivity tips or routines that help you through your 405 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 2: work day, trying to be as efficient with work as 406 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 2: you are running. 407 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the most important thing is every now and then, 408 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: and I frequently throughout the day, and I'll do it 409 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 3: five or six times. I'll basically take a look at 410 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 3: my to do list and I'll reset and I'll be like, 411 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,440 Speaker 3: what is the hardest thing that I at least want 412 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 3: to do, And I'll get to start doing it right now, 413 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 3: and I try to make it like one second from 414 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 3: when I realize what it is when I start, like, 415 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 3: don't check your email before you do that, don't like 416 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 3: do all the little things that you distract us. Like 417 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 3: one of the things that I care a lot about 418 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 3: and I try to cultivate is this sort of the 419 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 3: on off switch, right, like how long does it take 420 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 3: from when you realize what you have to do to 421 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 3: when you start doing it? And if you can get 422 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 3: that as tight as possible, that's really that's very important. 423 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 3: And then the other thing, and it's kind of from running, 424 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,400 Speaker 3: you know, I do have this very stoic view that 425 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 3: like the way you get things done is you just 426 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 3: start and you don't worry like about like exactly how 427 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 3: long it's going to take, but you recognize that if 428 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 3: you don't start, it won't get done, and if you 429 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 3: do start, it will get done. And so you just 430 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 3: kind of go every day. It's like and running. If 431 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 3: you run every day and you run hard twice a week, 432 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 3: you'll get faster. Always happens, always will, never fails. If 433 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 3: you don't you run like four days a week and 434 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 3: you don't run hard, you won't get faster, never will, 435 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 3: just doesn't happen. And so it's like the same thing 436 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 3: and work. You know, if you kind of mess around 437 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 3: and like I don't want to work that hard and 438 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 3: you aren't that productive, like you're never gonna get stuff done, 439 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 3: You're never gonna get ahead. So you know you just 440 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,239 Speaker 3: have to It's kind of stupid and obvious, but like 441 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 3: to cultivate those skills. And I care a lot about 442 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 3: practicing and reinforcing those skills. And every time I don't 443 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 3: do I know that every time you do something, you 444 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 3: build a tiny habit, you make it easier to do 445 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 3: it that way in the future, and so I try 446 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 3: hard to continually cultivate that. 447 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 2: But with something like your job, I mean, you are 448 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 2: having so many inputs. I think what a lot of 449 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 2: people struggle with is you may know that what is 450 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 2: the hard thing to do, and you also have one 451 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 2: hundred emails that have come in since the last time 452 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 2: you checked, and many of them are going to be important. 453 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: Because they've gotten kicked up to you. 454 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 2: So I'm curious how you balance that of knowing what 455 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 2: needs to be done and managing all the inputs that 456 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 2: are coming at you. 457 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's a really interesting question. And I think 458 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 3: what I do is I kind of have an intuitive 459 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 3: sense of like what is tier one and everything in 460 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 3: tier one of stuff you're just going to have to 461 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 3: do today, and so you know, I don't know, like 462 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 3: I just I just did this meeting in this check in, 463 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 3: and part of me was like, I don't really want 464 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 3: to do this right now, but like so many things 465 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 3: I gotta get done in the next half an hour. 466 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 3: And then I was like, no, I have to do 467 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 3: this today, Like we're going to have to cover these things, 468 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,360 Speaker 3: so let's just do it right now. She's here, I'm here, 469 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 3: we'll do it. And so you just kind of are 470 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 3: like you're spending some time where you're in your to 471 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 3: do list being deliberate and you're sometimes just being reactive. 472 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 3: And then the trick when you're being reactive is to 473 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 3: very quickly adjudicate is this thing like above the line 474 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 3: or below the line. If it's above the line, do 475 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 3: it now. If it's below the line, not only don't 476 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 3: do it now, just don't ever do it. So you 477 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 3: kind of manage you to do this that way. 478 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 1: Yes, kick it forward eternally if need. 479 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 3: I mean, there are some things that are like, Okay, 480 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 3: I'm gonna do that tomorrow, right. I'd actually was just 481 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 3: talking to my assist and I was like, I can't 482 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 3: get this done by six I'm going to get this 483 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,119 Speaker 3: done tomorrow morning, and I'm going to send it to 484 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 3: you at eleven am tomorrow morning. Is that okay? Right? 485 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 3: Like yeah, so sometimes you kick it, but like generally 486 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 3: it's like either do this hour or don't do it. 487 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 488 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 2: So nick, I ask all my guests this question. We 489 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 2: always love little things that can help make our days better. 490 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 2: Is there something you have done recently to take a 491 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: day from good or great too awesome? 492 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 3: Something like like one thing I did during the day. 493 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 3: Maybe maybe I flew to Los Angeles on Tuesday and 494 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 3: I actually I I had like to sort of have 495 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 3: like this. One of the nice things about writing a 496 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 3: book is that you get like twenty emails a day 497 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 3: from people are like this book, baby cry, this book 498 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 3: changed faurlish to my dad. And so I basically like 499 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 3: they've all like piled up, and like, in some ways 500 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 3: it's lovely and it's wonderful and all these people saying 501 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 3: beautiful things, and in some ways it's stressful because they're 502 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 3: in the same inbox as like the work problems. And 503 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 3: I just said, I'm going to spend five straight hours 504 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 3: on this airplane and all I'm going to do is 505 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 3: I'm just going to work through these and I did, 506 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 3: and I was I guess on Tuesday, and like it 507 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 3: has reduced the stress because now I'm kind of caught up, 508 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 3: but I'm closer. The lady next to me was like, 509 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 3: I have that was weird. I've never seen someone just 510 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 3: take out their laptop and go the whole time. 511 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: There was no movies. 512 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 3: She's like, I found that kind of stressful. Sorry, how 513 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 3: to just do it? But you know, that was It's 514 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,719 Speaker 3: a little stupid, and like email is a little bit 515 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 3: of a trap because you can feel productive when you're 516 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,479 Speaker 3: not actually being productive. But it was that was a useful, 517 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 3: That was good. That was today is Friday. That was 518 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 3: Tuesday Wednesday. 519 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well if you got to read through all the 520 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 2: emails about the book, I thought that was kind of 521 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 2: fun too. 522 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 3: Oh it's amazing, right, Like I got an email from 523 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 3: some woman who dated my dad in nineteen sixty. She 524 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 3: has all her diary entries and you know letters that 525 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 3: he wrote that she's sending me. So like this, incredible 526 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 3: things are coming through. 527 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: Wow, that'll have to be saved for the sequel, I guess. 528 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's good. 529 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: Well, where can where can people find you? 530 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 3: So? I'm all over the internet on NX Thompson, so Instagram, 531 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 3: LinkedIn Twitter, I posted daily video every day on artificial 532 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 3: intelligence policy. I just posted one right before coming on. 533 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 3: I would love it if they go and they pick 534 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 3: up a copy of The Running Ground at their bookstore 535 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 3: or Amazon or Walmart or where and I'm around awesome. 536 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 2: Well, Nick, thank you so much for joining us. Thank 537 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 2: you to everyone for listening. If you have feedback about 538 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 2: this or any other episode, you can always reach me 539 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 2: at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, 540 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 2: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 541 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:35,160 Speaker 2: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 542 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 2: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 543 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 2: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 544 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 2: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 545 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 2: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 546 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows.