1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to realize that noticing a need doesn't 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: mean you have to meet it. It's not always your job. 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: In his book Tyranny of the Urgent, author Charles Hummel 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: wrights the need itself, however, urgent is not the call 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: for us to meet it. Just because you notice a need, 8 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: or just because you acknowledge a need that someone brings 9 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: to your attention, doesn't mean that you have to solve 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: this problem. This is true in all spheres of life. 11 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: At work, maybe a colleague is having computer issues, or 12 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: there's some extra service your company could theoretically offer. At home, 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: maybe you see a burned out light bulb in your 14 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: spouse's office, or that your son's baseball club is in 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: his dresser and he'll need it for practice after school. 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: May be the neighborhood playground could use some spiffing up, 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: or no one has planned anything for your mother in 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: law's birthday. The truth is there are infinite needs and 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: things that would make the world better, but there's only 20 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: so much that one person can do, and when everything 21 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: is your job. Sadly, nothing will really get done because 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,559 Speaker 1: you'll be pulled in too many directions to get anything done. 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: So what do you do instead? First shift your mindset. 24 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: If you reflexively feel obligated to solve every problem you notice, pause, 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: ask yourself, is this my responsibility? If it is, handle it. 26 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: If it's not, Consider what would happen if you didn't 27 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: get involved. One possibility someone else will step up. The 28 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: people around you are full of talents, compassion, and ideas. 29 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: Leave some room for them to use them. Sometimes by 30 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: stepping back for a moment, you'll create space for their brilliance. 31 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: At times, you may decide to describe the need you 32 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: see and invite others to make a plan to respond. 33 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: If you're collaborating on a project at work that's going 34 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 1: to require some late nights, don't assume that you will 35 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: be the one to put them in. Instead, try staying 36 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: to your team. It looks like it's going to take 37 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: some time beyond normal working hours to get this finished. 38 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: How can we work to gather to find extra time 39 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: to get everything done? And rather than assuming you're the 40 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: only one who could plan your mother in law's birthday, 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: why not send a text to the siblings and partners groups, 42 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: saying meebi, his birthday is next week. Anybody have ideas 43 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: for celebrating, or, better yet, perhaps you ask your spouse 44 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: about the plans and then watch as the plans emerge. 45 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: Believe it or not, There may even be times when 46 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: you notice a need and let it go completely unmet. Sure, 47 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: the porch might be more inviting if it was swept, 48 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: but if your daughter tends to hang out there with 49 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: her friends, maybe give her time to notice the mess herself. 50 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: And if she doesn't the world will keep spinning. Don't 51 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: take it for granted that you need to swoop in 52 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: and meet every unmet need. Be intentional about how you 53 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: allocate your time. When we pick our battles, we might 54 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: actually win them rather than spreading the army too thin. 55 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 56 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 57 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 58 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 59 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 60 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then Breakfast p o D. 61 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 62 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast 63 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 64 00:03:52,840 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 65 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 66 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 67 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.