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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.
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Learn more today at nu.edu. Welcome to before breakfast, a production of I heart radio.
Good morning. This is Laura Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that specific numbers, and in particular, specific times, can be more memorable and seem more legitimate than round ones.
If you know that, you can use it to your advantage.
So whenever I see a round number for something, I get a little suspicious.
Lately, it was a slew of CEOs declaring that AI was doing 20% or 30% of the work in their companies.
Really? Do we have a good way of measuring everyone's exact output?
And how fascinating that the number was round.
As it is, I suspect these are just guesses, just as if someone claims an 80-hour workweek.
It's probably not exactly right. Thank you.
But here's the thing. If someone told me that time to product delivery had dropped 27% in one unit because of AI, that would seem plausible.
Specific numbers feel like they must be based on something.
So they seem more believable. They are also more memorable.
What does this have to do with time? Well, when I wrote about the problem with round numbers on Vanderhacks, my Substack newsletter, a reader mentioned that she would often tell her family they needed to leave at a very specific time, like 1-23.
Not 115. Not 130. No, 123. I love this, and I think it is a great tip.
A round number like 115 or 130 is thought to be round, as in, it's not exact.
And so people get ready around that time.
Those who are generally ready early will be ready early.
People who are always late will be late.
But when you tell people 1-23, First, they will remember it.
And second, they will assume that there is an actual reason for that time.
And so they might not aim for around 115.
They will know people are aiming for exactly 123.
It just might make everyone more punctual.
I think the same thing could work with a meeting agenda.
It is so odd that almost every meeting is either 30 or 60 minutes.
Isn't it strange that every manner of business decision can be reached in exactly 30 or 60 minutes?
Of course, that's not actually true. It's just that those are convenient scheduling blocks.
But if you send people an agenda with exactly 47 minutes accounted for, we are dealing with something entirely different. people are going to assume this is really well thought through. they're going to know that you truly are aiming for 47 minutes and you are not planning on wasting their time, which is a good thing.
So if you can come up with a specific number, do it.
You might have people treating their minutes with a little more care.
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.
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Hey listeners, today's tip is powered by National University.
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.
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