This is an iHeart Podcast.
Hey, listeners.
Today's tip is powered by National University.
As a listener of Before Breakfast, you know my goal is to help you make the most of your day without sacrificing work or family time.
That's why I'm so happy to introduce an institution that shares the same values.
If you are thinking about going back to school, you're probably wondering how to fit it all in.
National's flexible online formats, four- and eight-week courses and monthly class starts help you begin your degree sooner, finish faster and do it all on your own schedule.
So you have more options for managing work, family, and school.
With over 150 degrees, credentials and certificates to choose from, they have a program that fits your career goals.
Learn more today at nu.edu.
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeart Radio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that a good week starts on Friday.
By taking a little time on Friday to think through the upcoming week, you can feel more tranquil and get a lot more done.
About a year ago I published a book called Tranquility by Tuesday, which was about nine time management rules that can help anyone calm the chaos and make time for what matters.
Rule number two has long been one of my favorites.
Plan on Fridays.
Indeed, if anyone ever asks me, how do you do it?
Quite the question.
I tell them about my Friday planning sessions.
Here's how that works.
At some point on Friday I pull out my calendar as a reference tool and I create a page in my planner for the upcoming week.
I list my professional priorities for the week on the left-hand side of the page and my personal priorities for the week on the right side.
Those are things that I'd like to see happen with my family, friends, or for myself.
Sometimes, these priorities are already on the calendar.
For instance, the week I recorded this, one personal priority was my dentist appointment.
Not exciting, to be sure, but I had finally made myself make the appointment, so I wanted to notice it and celebrate that I was making this healthy choice.
I would also be running with a friend, and so I thought about how long we should go and what our goals might be for that run.
I would be going to a back-to-school night for one of my kids.
I wanted to be sure to ask that particular child what I should pay attention to at her school.
This was all pretty straightforward.
I'd see the calendar entry and note the priority.
But sometimes these priorities are not on the calendar.
For instance, on the work front, I am working on the proposal for another book.
There's no particular deadline for this, so I'm simply noting that I want to devote time to it.
By listing it as a priority, I know that I will make time for it.
I also figure out what I need to do and any logistical challenges that need to be solved.
For instance, it became clear that, between having the kids out of school for a day and a babysitter on vacation for a few days, and then my husband being gone for a while too, my work hours were going to be compressed.
So I knew I needed to carve out some time on Sunday when my youngest was watching a movie, to get started on things that would not fit in the rest of the week.
This helped me feel a little less frantic and guaranteed that if I was going to work on Sunday, that work had a point.
I wouldn't just be randomly checking email and doing anything that seemed to be flashing brightest.
That unhappy state of affairs leads to not relaxing, but not getting anything important done either.
I teach these Tranquility by Tuesday rules, and particularly this one to plan on Fridays, to others as well, because it truly does make life feel more in control.
With planning, the image I like to use is that of a three-ring circus.
Yes, we all have a lot going on in our lives, but the ringmaster knows where everyone is supposed to be and when.
The ringmaster knows how to deal with things going slightly wrong, like the tigers, taking longer to get into place than anticipated.
No problem.
Send out the clown to do his second funny act that you don't do if you don't need it, but you do if you do.
To have this sense of control, you need to step outside your life for just a little bit to look at what is important and then what is happening.
The more you do this, the more likely that things that are important are already starting to appear on your calendar as priorities.
During your past week's Friday planning, you've thought about what you'd like to do in the future.
You've planned it in.
That makes the weekly planning even easier.
These days, this planning doesn't take me much time.
My personal planning takes 20 minutes or so.
Planning out the family schedule takes another 20 minutes.
That's not nothing, but in less than 45 minutes I know I will not be living in chaos, even with five active kids in four different schools, two working parents and a host of things I enjoy doing in my personal life.
It all fits.
And that is because a good week starts on Friday.
So today, see if you might take some time to try this Tranquility by Tuesday rule.
Carve out 20 to 30 minutes.
Ask what is most important for you to accomplish this week, professionally and personally.
Ask what you need to do.
Do you know when everything will happen?
Have you solved any logistical challenges?
Make sure you have something to look forward to.
The first week or two, it might be challenging to look at the whole week at a time.
But doing so allows you to plan life more holistically and not get caught up in daily crises.
And it will get easier over the next few weeks as life becomes more like a well-run three-ring circus.
A good week starts on Friday.
So why not give this Friday planning a shot?
In the meantime...
This is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at LauraVanderkam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hey listeners, today's tip is powered by National University.
Before breakfast.
You know my goal is to help you make the most of your day without sacrificing work or family time.
That's why I'm so happy to introduce an institution that shares the same values.
If you are thinking about going back to school, you're probably wondering how to fit it all in.
National's flexible online formats, four- and eight-week courses and monthly class starts help you begin your degree sooner, finish faster and do it all on your own schedule.
So you have more options for managing work, family, and school.
With over 150 degrees, credentials and certificates to choose from, they have a program that fits your career goals.
Learn more today at nu.edu.
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