1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vandercam. I'm a mother of four, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hart Hunger. 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, practicing physician and blogger. On 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: the side, we are two working parents who love our 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: and time for fun, from figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Well, Welcome to best of 10 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: both worlds. This is Laura. This is episode seventy. We're 11 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: mostly going to be talking about wark hacks, how we 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: try to be more productive in our working lives. This 13 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: is airing first in early December, December four which we're 14 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: calling this my unofficial birthday episode. We just call it 15 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: your official birthday. I guess it could be my official 16 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: I mean, we're not that work hacks or I guess 17 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: all I want to talk about for my birthday. But 18 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: it is a milestone one are you going to let 19 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: everyone know what the milestone? Maybe we figured out what 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: it is. Yes, I'm probably not thirty, so yeah, I'm 21 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: turning forty. This week yay, which is exciting. I guess 22 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: in its own special way, it is exciting. I mean, 23 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: I'm not quite forty, but I'm almost forty, and I'm 24 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: sort of excited about it in a way. But Laura, 25 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: you're on the tail end of Generation X, so I 26 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: was just thinking, you have lived in multiple decades, briefly 27 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: in the seventies, in the eighties, the nineties, the aughts, 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: and now the tens, and it's very exciting. So what 29 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: are you going to do to celebrate? Yeah, I don't 30 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: know that I'm in the GENAX. I you know, we 31 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: I think we've had this discussion before. Are we actually 32 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: gen X? Or you're you're less so than I would be, 33 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: But I don't really. We're both like on the cusp. 34 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: I see Oregon Trail genera trail generation. I think that's 35 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: the best because it's like the small cusp between like 36 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven and nineteen eighty two exactly because if 37 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: you played orgon Trail and in elementary school, that was 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: that was me. I did, in fact play or I 39 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: got on the trail, except when I, you know, the 40 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: so and so has died of dysentery. I guess that 41 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: was you don't hear about dysentery so much anymore, which 42 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: is a good thing. But yeah, no, I'm I don't 43 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: have any huge celebrations planned unfortunately, probably because the planning 44 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: fatigue is setting in right before you know, my birthday planned, 45 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: two children's birthday parties, a couple of trips this fall. 46 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: I've had a lot of other things going on, so 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: I just, I don't know, not not been top priority. 48 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: Maybe I could sort of randomly hope that my husband 49 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: will plan something, but I'm not sure that will happen. 50 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: So I am really hoping that he is planning something 51 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: something Well, we'll say, I suspect that he will, and 52 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: probably something like really amazing, like going to Paris for 53 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: the weekend and something we already did that. I guess 54 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: maybe he'll tell me that that was it. We could 55 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: oh retrospect to rest to respective gift gift. No, I 56 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: don't know, do you. Yeah, so I feel that you 57 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: are where you thought you'd be at forty I mean yeah, 58 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,519 Speaker 1: and no, I mean I guess. On the plus side, 59 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: I am a professional writer, which is definitely what I 60 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be growing up in the time when I 61 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: wasn't thinking I wanted to be on stage somewhere, But 62 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: now I am on stage, just not you know, performing 63 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: on Broadway per se, but I'm on stage every week 64 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: talking to people, so that's kind of fun. I publish books, 65 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: so that's what I wanted to do, and I'm married 66 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: and have four kids. I guess, you know, you always 67 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: sort of wonder if it would be like I feel 68 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: like I've had a bit of a slow build career, 69 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: is how I would describe it. There's no you know, 70 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: one book or thing that has kind of made everything, 71 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: and so maybe that will happen in my forties or 72 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: maybe not. We'll see. But you know, hey, if any 73 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: of our listeners are like, hey, hey, I would like 74 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: to do something fun for Laura for her fortieth birthday, 75 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: you could go buy one of my books. That was 76 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: always a great way to do. Or ask your library 77 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: to order a copy they don't have one, yes, or 78 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: very quickly, you could just leave a two sentence review 79 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: on Amazon or Barnesannoble dot com or Goodreads five star review. Please. 80 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: If it's going to be a birthday present, yes, I 81 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: mean a birthday present would have to be a five star. 82 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: I would have to be a five star review. But 83 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,799 Speaker 1: that would be great. You can also leave a reviewer 84 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: rating for this podcast or tell a friend about it. 85 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: So yeah, that would be a great way to celebrate 86 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: turning forty. Have you been thinking about how you're turning 87 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: for I heard you were thinking about a marathon. Yeah. Yeah, 88 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about a marathon. I think I don't think 89 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: I would do that before forty. I think maybe i'll 90 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: do that like when I'm forty. During that then you 91 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: get to be in a different age group exactly. Well, no, 92 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: I just when I think of the decades, it starts 93 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: to like think back a decade and forward. Because when 94 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: I thought about your I was like, what am I 95 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: going to do? And then I was like, what was 96 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: life like at thirty? And I'm like, oh my god, 97 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: it was a total baby. I mean not really, but 98 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: kind of. I actually went back and looked at some 99 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: blog posts and was like, yes, there has been a 100 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: lot of growth in this decade. And then I started 101 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: thinking about fifty and how old my kids will be, 102 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: and that was kind of like shocking, Yeah, they'll be 103 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: kind of grown up at that point. Yeah, you'll have 104 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: children in college, I presumably will or whatever their post whatever, 105 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: they're placed. School plans are likely college, but we'll see 106 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: who knows, who even knows. I'm trying to think of 107 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: at thirty, if I could picture myself at forty. You know, 108 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: I at thirty, I didn't even have a contract for 109 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixt eight Hours, which was my first 110 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: time management book, so that was had not happened yet 111 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: I had one. You probably didn't picture that you would 112 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: have done a Ted talk prior to forty, well, partly 113 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: because Ted wasn't around then. Wasn't trying to think it 114 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: may have been around It may have been. I think 115 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: it started right around then, but uh no, I mean 116 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: the idea that I would have given a talk that 117 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: like seven million people would have watched, Yes, no, that 118 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: would have been an exciting thing for me. But yeah, 119 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: you know a lot of things I'm happy about things changes. 120 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,559 Speaker 1: I didn't know we'd be out in Pennsylvania. I guess 121 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that I would have said we'd have 122 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: four children, but that is a good development as well. 123 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: I'm I'm happy to have written lots of books too, 124 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: so given that I didn't have even one of them 125 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: on time management, and so, yeah, you know, it's been 126 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: a good decade. It's been a good yeah, and here's 127 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: to the next decade. And if we did you know, 128 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: I've I subscribed to several podcasts where they like seem 129 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: to have beverages. So we're just hard to virtual glass virtual. 130 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: I do have like a half drunk Lacroix can next 131 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: to me. Well that's celebratory, that's great, that's how we 132 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,799 Speaker 1: that's how we roll around. Here are people. So yeah, 133 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: our this episode is going to be our work hacks, 134 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: which Sarah and I have actually spent this whole morning 135 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: recording with various guests, with all the back and forth 136 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: involved in that and trouble shooting, and so we never 137 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: actually talked through how we plan to approach this if 138 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: are we going to trade back and forth? Do you 139 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: want one of us to go and then the other? 140 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: How what do you? What do you think? Uh? Why 141 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: don't we do like a few and then go back 142 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: and forth be a hybrid because mine are kind of 143 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: in groups, so that's true. Yeah, okay, you can give 144 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: us a few, all right, I'll give you a few. 145 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: My first work hack, which is honestly what I feel 146 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: like makes my life work, is that I plan my 147 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: upcoming weeks on Friday and I make short priority lists 148 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: for the next week, the career, relationships and self category, 149 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: you know, just figure out what are my top goals 150 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: in each of those. And what the point of this 151 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: is not so much like, oh, what do I have 152 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: coming up in the next week, is that it forces 153 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: me to identify what I really truly want to get 154 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: done in the next week, because if everything else goes 155 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: to hell, like, I'm still going to do these things. 156 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: And so that's actually really helpful. Like when I do 157 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: have a week where everything falls apart and you know, 158 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: you wind up with various plumber visits and emergency room 159 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: fund and all that, you know, you're still making progress 160 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: on your goals. So I would say that that is 161 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: my biggest productivity to ever is to take some time 162 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: on Friday afternoon plan the week ahead. The second one 163 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: is leave email till later. Whenever you're thinking about doing it, 164 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: leave it till later and donal no, but just check, 165 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: you know, check email less frequently. I like to leave 166 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: my answering of a lot of it that's not urgent 167 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: to the end of the day. I will glance at 168 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: what's there, but I want to wait until later. In 169 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: the day to just take you know, twenty minutes and 170 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: go through what's come in and answer it rather than 171 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: trying to, you know, go back and forth to it 172 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: every five minutes like when stuff comes in. And I 173 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: know a lot of people can't do that, but you know, 174 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: even if you just say, okay, every two hours, I'm 175 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: going to see what's coming in and get to you know, current, 176 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: and then another two hours when I'm off it and 177 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: then get back on it, like rather than trying to 178 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: go in and out every few minutes through the whole 179 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: course of the day. Like that is the way. I 180 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: totally agree, and I will say like that was one 181 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: of my big things too, and I'm not always good 182 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: about doing it, but particularly actually it doesn't even matter 183 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: whether I'm doing more structured work or unstructured. If I 184 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: leave the window open on my browser, it's as simple 185 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: as that, I'm going to get distracted and not even once, 186 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: but like a million different times by things that yes, 187 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: they're like to do items or whatever, but they absolutely 188 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: can be batched and they should not be intruding upon 189 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: either my deeper work or my even just documentation like 190 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: shallower kinds of work. So I am totally with you, 191 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 1: it has to be batched in whatever way works for you. 192 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: I actually even will go so far as to say, 193 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: I'm annoyed at what they've done with our medical record 194 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: system because I feel like they're starting to enable more 195 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: kind of interruption type pop ups, and if that continues 196 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: to escalate, it's going to get to the point where 197 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: my own work is interfering with my work, and that's 198 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: not good for anyone. So I guess I would just 199 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: say controlling the inputs is huge and sorry, but and 200 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: that that if I could do one thing too, and 201 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: I when I have a good day, it's because of that. 202 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: So yes, Laura is right, and we actually practice it 203 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: with each other because we'll often like I'll send Laura 204 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: like five emails in a row and then like ignore 205 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: email for a while, and then she'll write back five things, 206 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: and I'll write her five. Yeah. Well, I even, you know, 207 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: I do like at the end of the day or 208 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: sometimes every like three or four days, I'll sit down 209 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: and I have like an hour that I'm trying to 210 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: get to current over the past couple of days that 211 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: I haven't gotten this stuff, and and so then you 212 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: just but it's amazing how efficient you can be when 213 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: you're just going through with your your planner and your 214 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: calendar and going through the email and either address that 215 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: or don't or put it on the to D list 216 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: for you know, a certain day in the future. But yeah, 217 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 1: I think staying on top of it is somewhat overrated. 218 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: Although we have different thoughts on inbox zero. But yeah, 219 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: that's uh, well, that's right, said you got to You 220 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: just said you got to zero. So in my first 221 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: not in the sense that I don't delete everything, but 222 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: I've dealt with anything I'm going to deal with. We 223 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: have a similar mindset, it's just whether we hide them 224 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 1: in archives or has in visible. I think we're more 225 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: similar than we think, you exactly. So something related to 226 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: that in terms of limiting the inputs is try to 227 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: structure your life and so you can allow yourself that 228 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: when you are in the flow, to run with it. 229 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: So while I do like to plan my days to 230 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 1: a degree, I really love to stay with a project 231 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: that I'm getting into and so one of the things 232 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: I will do is try to structure big blocks of 233 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: open time in my schedule to allow for this. This 234 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: is particularly important with things like writing drafts or editing 235 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: things that it feels so good to just really get 236 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: into it and not have to be watching the clock, 237 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: not being like, Okay, this is going to get chopped up, 238 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, for a phone call now, and then I've 239 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: got half hour off and then another call and then 240 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: I have to do something else, you know. I like 241 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: to have three or four hours open to just do that, 242 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: and that's not easy to pull off, Like it's not 243 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: I have to be very strategic about telling people, you know, 244 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: I can't meet at that time, I have to meet 245 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: at a different time, or you know, people are throwing 246 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: out times for call, like let's do it at this 247 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: different time, so I can create these open blocks. But 248 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: then that is what makes work feel good. I guess 249 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: that is how I'd say it. Like that, I'm you know, 250 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: got this time that I'm getting into writing a scene 251 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: in a novel. I can stick with it. So if 252 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: I'm editing something, I can tell I'm really making it better, 253 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: then I don't have to stop. So that's a key 254 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: thing for me. I love that, and I mean my 255 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: my work is not as conducive to that. But you're like, 256 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: I'm really into the flow of examining this patient it's 257 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: pay here for three hours. Just No, it's more in 258 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: the it's more in two realms. Number one, the unstructured time. 259 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: So if I have like a big project, like I 260 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: had to prep this it's called the Clinical Competency Committee, 261 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 1: and it's like a meeting where we review all the 262 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,559 Speaker 1: residents and I had to like structure the meeting and 263 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: prep a PowerPoint and like put it together. Like if 264 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: I have a big project like that, like I need 265 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: to delineate a block of time when like no one 266 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: can bother me. And that's kind of similar, Like I 267 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: can't really realistically ever block off even half the day 268 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: is tough because I really only have only two half 269 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,079 Speaker 1: days for my unstructured stuff, and that some of that 270 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: gets filled by meetings. But if I can even block 271 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: off two three hours where I'm like everyone's going to 272 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: leave me alone, then it's much more pleasant and much 273 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: more productive. And same thing if I'm like catching up 274 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: on a bunch of notes in a row, like sometimes 275 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: I just have to resign myself on a call weekend 276 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: to like I'm sitting in this hour like no one's 277 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 1: going to bother me. I'm just going to get through 278 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 1: all of these, Yeah, although you do try to do 279 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: documentation right afterwards, right, So maybe you should because you've 280 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: got two types of days. You've got the inflexible ones 281 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,559 Speaker 1: and the flexible ones. So yeah, so I like divided 282 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: things up a little bit. So, I mean, this is 283 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: for our physicians, as you all know, we have become. Actually, 284 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: my husband literally just forwarded me an interesting article written 285 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: by the great to Tool Gwande, writer and surgeon in 286 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: The New Yorker talking about how basically EPIC, which is 287 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: the documentation system that many physicians use, one of the 288 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: big electronical medical record companies, is like killing us all. 289 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: I mean not really, but really hurting the profession, hurting 290 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: our quality of lives. And that's you know, the one 291 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: that most health systems use. And I think there are 292 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: some wonderful things about it, but it's tough, and it 293 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,359 Speaker 1: gets seems to get tougher, Like there are more clicks 294 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: even now than when I started. For example, that said, 295 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: to the extent possible, and this is every doctor, I 296 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: try to do as much documentation, either in the room 297 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: with the patient or immediately after seeing the patient, because 298 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:17,719 Speaker 1: when I procrastinate and have to do it at a 299 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: later time, it always takes a million times longer, feels 300 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: a million times less present. I'm sure I lose actual 301 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: clinical details. So this is something that's big. And my husband, 302 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: I know, works on this as well for himself, really 303 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: trying to not let charts sit there because I know 304 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: that also very much stresses him out. And nobody can 305 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: really relax when they know they have, like you know, 306 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: forty seven open charts that they know they have to 307 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: deal with. Yeah, and you spend some time prepping for 308 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: like the patients coming in, And then I loved you 309 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: you wrote a tip here about looking for ways to automate, 310 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: like what let's because that sounds like a worker right 311 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: the hair. Absolutely, So there are so many things that 312 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: I'm sure sure many of us do. Definitely many physicians, 313 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: I'm sure many lawyers that are like templates. Like I mean, 314 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: there's certain things that you realistically can't automate, Like when 315 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: a patient gets diagnosed with type one diabetes, I have 316 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: to have a very sensitive conversation with the family, and 317 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: I truly do feel for the families, but I've also 318 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: like had that conversation like nine thousand times at this point, 319 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: so I can't automate that, like I can't just be like, oh, 320 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: here's a YouTube with my diabetes speech like have fun, 321 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: because you have to actually like get close to the 322 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: patient and you know, demonstrate true empathy which is real, 323 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: and you know, answer their specific questions. So some things 324 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: are just too sensitive to automate. But other things, like 325 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, a list of side effects for a fairly 326 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: benign medication, or reference materials on like the you know, 327 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: the treatment of I don't know, automateethiraditis, like something that's 328 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: a little bit less sensitive that you're you're handing out. 329 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: It's amazing what you can do with prepared handouts or 330 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: phrases that go into your electronic medical record, even phrases 331 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: that and and you know, as I just totally land 332 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: based it our electronicals electronic medical records system. But one 333 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: of the wonderful things about it is you can create 334 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: something called a dot phrase, which means that like you 335 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: can write one it's a text expander film. Essentially you 336 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: write one word and it turns it into a paragraph 337 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: of your choice. And so that can save a ton 338 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: of time, whether it has to do with patient information 339 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: or parts of your notes, et cetera, or even you know, 340 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: things like you know patients are going to contact you 341 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: with certain questions, sort of having the answers at the 342 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: ready or perhaps delegated to your assistance if you have 343 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: them so that it doesn't even have to get to you, 344 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: if it's a straightforward question that's being answered more than 345 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: one time. I think in general, like anything you can 346 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: do to automate stuff. I talk about this idea of 347 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: like time dividends in Off the Clock, one of my books. 348 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: The idea is if you do anything multiple times in life, 349 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: you know you first ask yourself when you do something 350 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: like am I going to do this again? Because some 351 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: stuff you're never going to do again? Or it's going 352 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: to be enough different each time, Like in your case, 353 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: you know you're you're having the same conversation, but every 354 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: family is different, every patient is individual. Like that, that's 355 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: not something that can can be automated. But you know, 356 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: if I am going to do this again, is there 357 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,199 Speaker 1: some aspect of it that I could make easier and 358 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: more efficient so I can save myself time in the future. 359 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: You know this For me, this is something as simple 360 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 1: as a lot of people ask me for a headshot, 361 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: for instance, so you know, well, we put it on 362 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: my website, so you can download it there. But we 363 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: also I also have it named on my computer with 364 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: like an underscore before the file name, so it is 365 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: at the top rather than you know, be buried somewhere 366 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: as Laura vandercam jpeg and have to hunt for it 367 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: every time. So or same thing with my timelog. You know, 368 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 1: that's another thing that people ask for a lot, so 369 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: I can just email it very quickly. You know. One 370 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:48,919 Speaker 1: one thing that I've heard from people is just a 371 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: great hack. If we've got listeners who a lot of 372 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: people ask you to to pick your brain, they're like 373 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: horrible phrase, and often what it is is that they're 374 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 1: trying to get in your endoret they want some of 375 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: you know, information, also want like contacts and want you 376 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: to know them. And that's great because you want to 377 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: be helpful for people, but you don't want to like 378 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,239 Speaker 1: have to answer the same question one hundred times as 379 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: you're doing this. So create a list of like frequently 380 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: ask questions about your industry, send it to the person 381 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: who wants to pick your brain, and invite them to 382 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: send you any follow up questions. Like a big chunk 383 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: of people never will because they just don't like when 384 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: it's mildly more difficult, they won't. But then if they 385 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: do send smart follow up questions, well, that's really somebody 386 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: you actually kind of do want to meet and possibly 387 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: mentor so so that can be a good time hack there. 388 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 1: I think that's awesome. It puts the onus on them 389 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: and then you're right, it's like in a select for 390 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: the few that actually might be somebody you might want 391 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: to collaborate with in the future. Friends. Sounds great, like 392 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: they asked awesome follow up questions like totally want to 393 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: meet with them. Yeah, so one thing that kind of 394 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: goes with your other one about meetings. Yeah, oh my goodness, 395 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: So I got this. Yeah, I've read this book called 396 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: The Art of Gathering by a Prea Parker's. It's a 397 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: really good book and I would recommend it. You know, 398 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: meetings are one of those things like millions of white 399 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: collar workers are chomping from meeting to meeting like middle 400 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: schoolers changing classes, like putting zero thought into it. It's 401 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 1: just like, oh, here's my two o'clock by three o'clock, 402 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: by four o'clock, and she's she's talking about gathering in general. 403 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: So sometimes that means parties sometimes that means major conferences 404 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: or events, but it could just be you know, Monday 405 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: and Monday morning meeting too. But she's arguing that you 406 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: need certain things, like you need a purpose, which is 407 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: that something is going to change in the world as 408 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 1: a result of this gathering. If your meeting cannot reach 409 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: that bar like why are you having it? And like 410 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,479 Speaker 1: the meetings that are just to like distribute information. We 411 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: have tools, like you can send that out, do you 412 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: send an email or just like walk to the person's 413 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: office and give it to them if you want to 414 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: make sure they've received it. But like, yeah, the meeting 415 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: where nothing changes is in the world should should not happen, 416 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: you know, even thinking about such thing is who is 417 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: in the room, Like it's not the popular table at lunch, 418 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 1: Like you shouldn't bring everyone in who possibly could be 419 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: or just people who are cool. You know, like the 420 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: people who are in the room or on the phone 421 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: need to be the people who are there to make 422 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: something change in the world as a result of this gathering. 423 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 1: If they are not, then they shouldn't be on there. 424 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: And you know, thinking through what happens the whole time, 425 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: thinking through what you want from people like that there 426 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: needs to be structured, you know, inputs, like because otherwise 427 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 1: you could just get dominated by the three people who 428 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: talk loudest, So making sure you've got everyone's opinion, but 429 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: being able to say in a way that it's not 430 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: just like everyone reflects the most important person in the room, 431 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: you know, having an agenda for the whole time. Like 432 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 1: if you if you've got a meeting where there isn't 433 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: an agenda, you should be very very worry of that meeting. 434 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: I mean I just said that we we didn't talk 435 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: through how we're going to do this episode, but we 436 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: have a general structure for most of these things. But 437 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, if a meeting doesn't have set out what 438 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: everyone in the room is supposed to be doing with 439 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: every minute that they are there, again, you're probably not 440 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: going to be as effective as you should be. And 441 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: then think about the ending. The ending should not just 442 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: be like okay, we're done, walk out, Like you know, 443 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,439 Speaker 1: you've decided on your conclusion. What's changed? Who's going to 444 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: do something differently? Is that person aware of it? Like 445 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,719 Speaker 1: how are we going to follow up that happened? You know, 446 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: all these things just and if your meeting can't reach 447 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: that bar and maybe don't have it valuable. I agree 448 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: meetings probably could be cut in half the way they 449 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,959 Speaker 1: are in most industries and down with meetings and I'm 450 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: just kidding, get but you have to have an objective 451 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,679 Speaker 1: and then you have yes exactly, some like reason, and 452 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 1: then some sort of specific takeaway. I usually sit there 453 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: with a pen and make checkboxes, and you know, a 454 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: good meeting, I have like two checkboxes that nobody would 455 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: have thought of before the meeting, so it's like, oh, 456 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: we actually figured something out and then we have an 457 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: actionable next step. If there are no checkboxes written, it 458 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: probably was not a good meeting, or it was probably 459 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,360 Speaker 1: really just an information distribution, which again probably doesn't need 460 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: to be one in the first place. No, let's talk 461 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: about breaks. Oh, yes, you have a lot of breaks 462 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: right now, although not not fun breaks. No, But I 463 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: did write on here I wrote take productive breaks, and 464 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: maybe I was inspired by your notes. But it's true 465 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: you cannot focus full on for like twelve hours street, 466 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: and anyone who claims they do is probably lying. I mean, 467 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: my husband does do like very long surgeries sometimes, but 468 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,199 Speaker 1: I think that would be like the exception, because you 469 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: really like can't take a break. Even then they probably 470 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: take breaks like they need to go to the bathroom, 471 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: right like, Oh, surgeons do not pee for like long 472 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: periods of contrust. Okay, that's not even have them on 473 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: the podcast. You can you can ask him about that. 474 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: If you're a pregnant surgeon, that is especially difficult. And 475 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: then that's why a lot of them deliver early, because 476 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: they like purposely fluid restrict themselves so they don't pee. 477 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: It's terrible anyway. I don't know if there's evidence to 478 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: back that up, but I've certainly heard a lot of 479 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: anecdote because I like to be able to go to 480 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: the bathroom when I need to go. I am with 481 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:05,880 Speaker 1: you anyway, so I don't know how we went there. 482 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: But what I was going to say is, you know, 483 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: I've had to pump, well, not had to pump. I've 484 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: chosen to pump for all these months, and therefore I 485 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: have taken like three twenty to thirty minute breaks every 486 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: single day because I really have trouble doing productive things 487 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 1: while pumping. We've discussed that before. It is not as 488 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: simple as just throwing on a hands free pumping bra 489 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: and doing notes. But I've survived, which means that even 490 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: once I'm done pumping, I'm not planning on taking that 491 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: much time. But like, nothing would happen if I left 492 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 1: the office for a walk for thirty minutes or shut 493 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,679 Speaker 1: my went to a cop to the Starbucks down the 494 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: street and read for thirty minutes, Like nothing earth shattering 495 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: would happen. I could still get my work done. I 496 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,119 Speaker 1: can still have a productive day. I can take a 497 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: social break and you know, have lunch with someone. It's 498 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: if nothing else, you just come back to work more 499 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: productive and kind of have a more multi dimensional work 500 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: life when it's not completely just knows to the grindstone 501 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: the entire day long. Yeah, I gotta say that when 502 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 1: I see people's time logs, this is one of the 503 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: biggest mistakes I see people making, is thinking, like, look 504 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: at me, I'm all productive, I'm working through lunch, sitting 505 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: at my desk like I'm going to get out of 506 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: here early tonight. And then you know, two thirty three 507 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: o'clock in the afternoon, they're reading the same email six 508 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: times in a row and like gett an alert on 509 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: Facebook and they're like, oh now I'm over on Facebook, 510 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: and like forty five minutes are gone because it's what 511 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: happens is that your brain needs a break, and if 512 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: you don't give it a real break, it takes one 513 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: of these fake ones where you fall down an internet 514 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,479 Speaker 1: rabbit hole for just all ungodly amounts of time, and 515 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 1: you would have been better off taking a real structured 516 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: break in there, Like if you're going to lose forty 517 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 1: minutes to floundering around doing nothing, like far better to 518 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: go outside for twenty minutes and actually get some fresh air, 519 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: walk around, get your energy back, because then you could 520 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: come back in and get those twenty minutes extra to work. 521 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: So really kind of proactively building in breaks to the 522 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: day during times when you know your energy will flag, 523 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: which which is a good reason to track your time 524 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: because then you can start to see that. Like if 525 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,199 Speaker 1: you know that you have lots of intense meetings in 526 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,679 Speaker 1: the morning and you always feel really fragged afterwards, well 527 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: that's a good sign you need a break. Or maybe 528 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,120 Speaker 1: you're you have really focused intense work like head down 529 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: at the desk in the morning, you really need a 530 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: lunch and you need to go talk to people and 531 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: get some of that social interaction. That's what you need 532 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: for that. But you know, figure out what it is 533 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: for you that as your energy level, build it in 534 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: during the day and that's how you actually can get 535 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: your work done and get up you know, done on time, 536 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: as opposed to, you know, just having the afternoon be 537 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: a complete wash. Also kind of on the subject of breaks, 538 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: this doesn't really apply to you or any other entrepreneurial 539 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 1: type person, but if you are somebody who works for 540 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: a company, use your PTO, use your paid time off. 541 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: You don't have to use all of it, but you 542 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: should use a lot of it. I in my opinion, 543 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,679 Speaker 1: I work with people who take no time off and 544 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: people who take some, and it definitely seems like there 545 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 1: is a difference on the life satisfaction. And I mean, 546 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: unless you honestly don't feel like you want to do 547 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: anything other than work, like this is time that is 548 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: that is yours and you should enjoy it. So I 549 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 1: guess I find so many people. And I have a 550 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 1: friend literally today that was talking about how incredibly burned 551 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: out she was and she's working as a hourly employee, 552 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: but she's not and so she doesn't have to work 553 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: full time, but she often does. And I'm like, well, 554 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 1: do you take any time off? She's like well, because 555 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: I don't really have like official time off, no, I 556 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: basically take like no time off. And I'm like, well, 557 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: there you go, like you're standing here like practically in tears, 558 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 1: how burned out you are and you need time for 559 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: yourself and your family, and you're actually you've built yourself 560 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 1: a flexible schedule and then taken zero advantage of it 561 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: and no time for yourself. So I mean we've talked 562 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: about like looking at the calendar year and really designating 563 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 1: like these are the days I'm going to use. Probably 564 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:51,679 Speaker 1: if you look right now in your paid time off account, 565 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: you probably have some I mean I like, you know, 566 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: seven or ten days often will just accumulate, and then 567 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,120 Speaker 1: think about how many days you're going to earn over 568 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: the next year. And if you know you have that buffer, 569 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: you can use the same number of days you'll earn 570 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: and then you still have a buffer. So I think 571 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: it's very important to look at this and to plan 572 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: it because otherwise it won't automatically happen, and you're entitled 573 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,159 Speaker 1: to it, and your company is probably happier if you 574 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,640 Speaker 1: take advantage of what it considers a benefit that's included 575 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: to help you be a more balanced happier employee. Yeah. 576 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not like people are going to jump 577 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,160 Speaker 1: up and down and say please take your paid time off. 578 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: But I mean this is one of those things where 579 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: you do have to look out for the long term perspective. 580 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: And there's this great scene in Cheryl Sandberg's Lean In 581 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: where she talks about and she used work for consulting 582 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: from many years ago, before Facebook and all that, and 583 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: she talked about how the head of her office had 584 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: a conversation with her about at one point and said, 585 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, people leave here because they're burned out, which 586 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: is fine, you don't have to work here forever. But 587 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: what got him was that every single person who left 588 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: because they were burned out had untaken vacation time. And 589 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: he said, well, you know, why don't they just take 590 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: the vacation time and then maybe be less burned out. 591 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: You know, if it's it's not like the company is 592 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: going to you know, you have this benefit and it's 593 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: up to you to take it right. The onus is 594 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 1: on you because you know, the work will be happy 595 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: to just keep taking. Like nobody's going to stop and 596 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: really analyze this. Maybe they should, but they probably won't. 597 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: So it's up to you that if you do want 598 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: to stay within this, you know, long term, and ideally 599 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: that's what your company would like as well, because it's 600 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: really a pain in the butt to hire a pact. 601 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 1: So I was going to say, even if in the 602 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: short carem the company benefits, I have to imagine that 603 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: employee turnover is going to suffer if there's burnout, and 604 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: burnout is going to happen more often if you don't 605 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: take any time. So really it's in the company's best 606 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: interest to have you use at least some of it 607 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: some of it, yeah, exactly, But you can also figure 608 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: out different different ways to recharge. We talked about recharging 609 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: during work travel. You have any good good tips on that. Yeah, 610 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: I mean I treat my conferences as like part conference 611 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: and immersion in the actual, you know, substance of what 612 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: I'm learning, and then part break. And I take no 613 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: shame in that. I often schedule a manny petty, sometimes 614 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: a massage, and whatever city I'm in, I take time 615 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: to go running outside where I am and I enjoy 616 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: reading books on the plane. So I really treat it 617 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: as as because I don't have that much time just 618 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: to myself, so I'm for example, I'm super excited for 619 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: next year because I haven't gone on a trip in 620 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: quite a long time. But if you're somebody like me 621 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,719 Speaker 1: who doesn't travel often, you may be able to afford 622 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: to use it as that that break that you that 623 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: you need. Yeah, or at least thinking about how can 624 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: I get a workout in Can I have some downtime 625 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: like between my last meeting and dinner, you know, because 626 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: you're not going to be a different person on the 627 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: road than you are at home, so you're still going 628 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: to need the same sorts of things that you would 629 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: in the rest of the time. Let's see what else 630 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: did we have. One thing I wanted to say is, 631 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: you know, build in time to practice your skills. So 632 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: in my line of works, it's pretty clear like what 633 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: something like this would be blogging, for instance, is practice writing. 634 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: If I can crank out an essay really quick on 635 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: my blog, chances are I can do it for something 636 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: else too, or I could you know, get ideas from 637 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: doing this, or just the sheer practice of writing close 638 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: to daily is what makes me get better at doing that. 639 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: But I think in any line of work, there's some 640 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: skill that you do repeatedly and you know, often we 641 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,719 Speaker 1: do it with repeatedly without thinking about it. So if 642 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: you just put a little bit of thought into how 643 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: can I use this fact that I'm doing it repeatedly 644 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: to do it better? Like if I get feedback on it, 645 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 1: or maybe record myself or you know, do something like, 646 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: you know, how could I make myself get better at 647 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: this skill? Is there? I mean I guess with medicine, 648 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: would there be anything? Yeah? Well, I think that's one 649 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: reason why institutions that have residents often really benefit from 650 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: that because it forces us as attending is to you know, 651 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: sometimes you kind and you just get caught in your 652 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: rud of doing something without thinking about why you're doing 653 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 1: or how can you do it better? But all of 654 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: a sudden, when you have an audience, you kind of 655 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: do put a little bit more depth of thought into 656 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: oh am I showing them the right way? And have 657 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: I looked into the latest amount of evidence about that? 658 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: And you know they'll question you. So you know. My 659 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: version of that would, I guess be to use your 660 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: opportunities for teaching as your own learning time because it 661 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: will make you better at what you do. That and 662 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: taking advantage of your colleagues because I feel like I 663 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: learned the most by you know, when I have a 664 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: tough case, I immediately go next door to the amazing 665 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: people that I work with and I run the whole 666 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: thing by them. And you know, of course you're thinking 667 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: of it in terms of like, oh, I have to 668 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: check off what do I do for this patient, But 669 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:42,479 Speaker 1: you also have to think of it as like this 670 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: is how I'm learning, I'm practicing, and I'm growing so 671 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: that next time, you know, I'll know the answer or 672 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: I'll know where to look. So yeah, I guess that 673 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: would be like our version of that. Well, definitely asking 674 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: your colleague stuff is smart in general. If we don't 675 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: have to discover the world anew ourselves imagine that other 676 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: hack I guess we both had, then we can get 677 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: to our question. But eating that frog? Are you? Are 678 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: you a fan of eating the frog? Yes? Total. I 679 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: mean I'm a morning person, so I if I have 680 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: unstructured time, I am better off. Just it's not oh, 681 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: let me clear the decks and do my charts and 682 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 1: notes whatever. No, Like if I have to like write 683 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: a proposal or like put something together that requires a 684 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: little bit more brain power, like I am much better 685 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: off doing it first. Are you the same way? I 686 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 1: think in general, I mean, I think about what does 687 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: first mean, because it doesn't mean six am in the morning, 688 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: you know, when i'm sometimes it does well for me, 689 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: it does it? Or four thirty four thirty in the Yeah, no, 690 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: I mean I would, but that time has a high 691 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: chance of getting interrupted, so I really just don't want 692 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: to bank on it. That's true. Then I just get frustrated. 693 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: But the kids are on the bus by eight thirty five, 694 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 1: and I'm I'm done with kid stuff at that point. 695 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: So I really think of like the eight thirty five 696 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: to ten window as being where I would I should 697 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 1: not be clean clearing the decks that time. It's hard 698 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: because yeah, you're like, oh, well, there's all these quick 699 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: things I could knock off my to do list for 700 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: the day and then I can focus. But the worry 701 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: is that you'll knock all that stuff off to clear 702 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: the decks, and then you'll be like, oh, it's time 703 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: for my morning break, and then it's, uh, you know, 704 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: well now I've got to call at ten thirty and no, 705 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: you know, and then you're not getting to the important 706 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: stuff until you know, the afternoon or when you're starting 707 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: to get more tired. No, that makes sense. I think 708 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: I have less long important projects than you. So if 709 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 1: I have something like I can throw it. I can 710 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: throw a pretty good teaching PowerPoint together at four thirty 711 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: in the morning, good for you. So sometimes that is 712 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: my or do some podcast scripts for example my deep 713 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 1: work this morning. Sometimes that is Sometimes it is valuable time. 714 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: I guess it just depends on what your day and 715 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: your week. It's like exactly, that is not an everyday thing. 716 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: By the way, No, don't anybody judge me for that. 717 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: Do you have any other work hacts for I'm sure 718 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: I do. But we've talked for a pretty long time. 719 00:33:57,680 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: So maybe we'll have to do like a work Hacks 720 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: part too, where we get to anything we didn't get 721 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: to and maybe get some submissions from our wonderful listeners 722 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: and readers. So if you have something you do that 723 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: makes you much more effective and efficient at work, please 724 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: let us know. You can always email me Elevanderkam at 725 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:19,879 Speaker 1: yahoo dot com or the shoebox blog right at shoebox Yeah, 726 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: my email shoebox blog at gmail dot com, or just 727 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,399 Speaker 1: write to me on our Instagram which I post our 728 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: episode every week, or my blog, which we do look 729 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: for questions there because we this week's question came from 730 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: an Instagram use it. Yes, this was an Instagram direct message, 731 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 1: which incidentally I did just to delete the Instagram app 732 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna have to put it back on because 733 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: I don't know how to get direct messages. Okay, can 734 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: do everything else, so it's kind of frustrating anyway. So 735 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: this was a question that someone asked on Instagram. It 736 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 1: was just how do you fit in time for fitness? 737 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,839 Speaker 1: And I know we've kind of discussed that a little 738 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: bit before, but I don't know we have ever given 739 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 1: like a list and some of you maybe headed into 740 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: resolutions season as this air, so figured why not mention it. 741 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: Here's my list, ready, let's go do it in the morning, 742 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 1: because otherwise it's never gonna happen. Again. If you have 743 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 1: a different kind of job, and Laura will talk about 744 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 1: her situation that may be different, but honestly, for me, 745 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: if it's not done by seven thirty on a weekday anyway, 746 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: it's probably not going to happen. So if you're really committed, 747 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: find that early hour that you can devote be okay 748 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 1: with a little bit. So Laura has her one mile 749 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: or maybe it's you know, ten minutes of a strength training. 750 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: So sometimes a little is better than nothing, and a 751 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:33,959 Speaker 1: little definitely is better than nothing. And I didn't always 752 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 1: used to realize that, but now I have. Our guest 753 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: last week talked about the seven minute app right, so 754 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: I've heard good things about this seven minutes. I'm pretty 755 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: sure you can find seven minutes somewhere. It's true using 756 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 1: if you run or walk. You know, if you have 757 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: an early working, early waking baby, try out a running 758 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: stroller can be a good good strategy. Or send your 759 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,279 Speaker 1: partner out with the running stroller and then you can 760 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 1: have time to do your workout as I did this morning. 761 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: That works too. Recall the benefits that exercise brings, so 762 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: you know, get to get to your why. For me, 763 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: it's whatever about you know, long term health benefits met, 764 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: but like being much calmer and happier during the day 765 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: worth it. So you know, you have to find out 766 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 1: what your motivation is and think about that. If you're 767 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,239 Speaker 1: an obliger in the Gretchen Reuben tendencies, she will tell 768 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 1: you a million times that you need to find some 769 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: sort of outer accountability. That's not Laura or me. But 770 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 1: if that is you to find out you know who 771 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: you could meet up with, gamify it, or train for something, 772 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 1: and finally find something that you actually enjoy doing, because 773 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,399 Speaker 1: nobody's going to get up and like torture themselves. There's 774 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,240 Speaker 1: got to be something out there that's fun for you. 775 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 1: Humans do not do well with suffering long term, right, Like, 776 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: I mean, you'll stick with it for two weeks and 777 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 1: then you'll be like screw this. You know, if you 778 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,839 Speaker 1: if you hate running, you could try it, but like 779 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: you're not going to really probably wind up being a 780 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: runner long term. But you know, if there's something else 781 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: you like, maybe it's a group fitness class or just 782 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: walking with a friend, right that seems more like fun 783 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: rather than exercise, and that can be perfectly fine as well. 784 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:08,840 Speaker 1: So yeah, it doesn't it doesn't have to be training 785 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,919 Speaker 1: for a marathon, I'd say my suggestions. So this would 786 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: not work for everyone. But I have actually found that 787 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:19,280 Speaker 1: doing the streak is a great way to find time 788 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: for a little bit of fitness every day because then 789 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: it's not the question of am I going to run? 790 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,319 Speaker 1: It's when am I going to run? And so then 791 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 1: I've taken the sort of motivation question out of it, 792 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,080 Speaker 1: and then it's just looking at the schedule and say, well, 793 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 1: where does it fit. I know I need I'll be 794 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: so excited if somebody starts like a twenty nineteen streak 795 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,279 Speaker 1: based on this episode. Oh that's do it. Well, someone 796 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:39,879 Speaker 1: do it. Sure, you could totally do it. And it 797 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be running like so you know, other 798 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: people might be you know, prone to entry seven minute 799 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 1: app running every day might not work for them, but 800 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 1: the seven minute app you could probably do that. Or 801 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: you could say that, you know, every day this year, 802 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 1: I'm going to do ten minutes of something, right, So 803 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: whether that's walking briskly or ten minutes of you know, 804 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 1: push ups and sit ups and crunch you know, planks 805 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: or whatever. That ten minutes of something could could certainly 806 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: be be done for an entire year without too much 807 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:08,479 Speaker 1: of an issue. I think often it's not so much 808 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,479 Speaker 1: finding time, is just designating a time that we need 809 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: some queue in our lives that oh, yeah, now is 810 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: the time when I exercise, rather than trying to figure 811 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: it out anew all the time. So you know, if 812 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: it is first thing in the morning, that's a really 813 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,359 Speaker 1: good queue. But maybe it's also it's your lunch break 814 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,720 Speaker 1: at work, or maybe it's that you know, you build 815 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: it into your life, Like you get off at a 816 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,880 Speaker 1: different train stop, and so you have to walk briskly 817 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 1: for fifteen minutes to your office and there you go. 818 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: Now you've built in fifteen minutes of brisk walking into 819 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: your day that you didn't have before. So yeah, don't 820 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:44,879 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be big. Figure out if there's 821 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: some way you can sort of build it into your 822 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: life daily, and you know, if that doesn't work, don't 823 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 1: think daily to say, like, you know, where are four 824 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 1: times this week I could I could fit it in? 825 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: Love it And speaking of loves, we will get to 826 00:38:57,440 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: our love of the week. I will let you end 827 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: this special birthday episode, but I will tell you that 828 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:05,239 Speaker 1: my love of the week is birthday massages. This is 829 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: a tradition that Josh and I have, I don't know, 830 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 1: developed over the years and typically on both of our birthdays. 831 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 1: And this is super indulgent, but whatever it is, what 832 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 1: it is. We take the day off and we both 833 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: get massages together and it's like a lovely date and 834 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: then we go to lunch after and so we have childcare. 835 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: If it's on a weekday. Anyway, if it's not on 836 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 1: a weekday, we'll actually move it so that we do 837 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: it during a weekday. So actually, because my husband will 838 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,240 Speaker 1: have his own I guess it's not really a milestone birthday, 839 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 1: double number birthday. You will have his birthday just a 840 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 1: few days after yours, but that's on the weekend. So 841 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:43,160 Speaker 1: on your birthday, he and I are getting birthday massages 842 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: for him. So there you go. I'll think of you 843 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 1: to me, I yes, why you guys are Yeah, I 844 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 1: may not be getting massage, and so that will have 845 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: to be figure out. Well, we'll figure it out. Yeah. 846 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 1: I try to schedule some fun stuff around my birthday, 847 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: you know, even thinking of it as a birthday week 848 00:39:57,760 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: like it do. I have a bunch of fun stuff 849 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,880 Speaker 1: during that week. It doesn't always work so well, and 850 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: sometimes the day itself is kind of not what I 851 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 1: would would hope. Last year was really rough. My husband 852 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: got in a car accident. He was fine, he was 853 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,440 Speaker 1: a minor vendor bender, but there was there was that, 854 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: and then my then two year old pulled his dresser 855 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 1: over on himself, also fortunately not entered, but that was 856 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:27,280 Speaker 1: whoe A not fun moment, which everything has been secured 857 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,440 Speaker 1: to the wall now, just in case anyone's wondering. And 858 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: I wound up, I was flying to I went to 859 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,320 Speaker 1: Chicago because I have speech the next day in Chicago, 860 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:36,760 Speaker 1: and I was in a but not like downtown Chicago, 861 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: as in Deerfield, Illinois. And so I had my birthday 862 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 1: dinner by myself in a hotel restaurant in Deerfield, Illinois, 863 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 1: which is, you know, maybe not the peak of what 864 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: one might hope for your birthday experience. Yeah, but by 865 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: yourself part is the sad part. I think that you 866 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,279 Speaker 1: could probably have a fantastic time in deer Field, but 867 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: I know they're wonderful. Place was in Deerfield, Illinois. Yeah exactly, 868 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,319 Speaker 1: but yes, the hotel restaurant by yourself. It reminds me 869 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 1: of My husband told the story once year to go 870 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:09,600 Speaker 1: to me that he is the sort of lost track 871 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 1: of what day was or everyon went out one night 872 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:13,440 Speaker 1: by himself just to get food and notes around that 873 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:17,239 Speaker 1: everyone has candlelights and flowers and Valentine's Day. He was 874 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:24,839 Speaker 1: eating by himself fancy restaurants, so it probably didn't even 875 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: register with him. He's like, oh, you know, anyway, so 876 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, but we'll we'll 877 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: know when this comes out and I'll post on my 878 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 1: blog and you know, hopefully I've got great plans for 879 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 1: the week. But whatever it's, it's it's good to have 880 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: birthdays because it's definitely better than the alternative. So you know, 881 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 1: embrace and love life and happy with stuff now. So yeah, 882 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:51,040 Speaker 1: well this has been best of both worlds. We've been 883 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:54,360 Speaker 1: talking mostly work hacks with a little side detour into 884 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,439 Speaker 1: my birthday, but we'll be back next week with more 885 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:03,240 Speaker 1: on making work and life fit together. Thanks for listening. 886 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,560 Speaker 1: You can find me Sarah at the shoebox dot com 887 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, and you can 888 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 1: find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. This has 889 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 1: been the best of both worlds podcasts. Please join us 890 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,480 Speaker 1: next time for more on making work and life work together.