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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to get clear on why you are doing what you are doing, especially if you're feeling stretched.
Because it is on my schedule or because it is on my to-do list may not be an adequate reason to do much of anything.
So get clear on what the real reason is.
When we get busy, it is tempting just to focus on what is immediately in front of us.
We march through the day's schedule, going from meeting to meeting, doing whatever tasks we immediately need to do.
But if you are feeling like you have more on your plate than you'd like to right now, it is probably wise to step back and see if all the things keeping you busy are actually moving you somewhere you would like to go.
To do this, audit your schedule and your to-do list.
Whenever you are doing something or about to do something, ask yourself, why am I doing this?
If you are not sure why, or if the results aren't worth the effort, you could consider whether you want to adjust.
For instance, why are you spending an hour every Friday writing a weekly email update to your boss?
Why are you meeting a friend who lives 20 minutes away for a walk every Monday at 6 a.m.?
Why are you spending an hour and $90 taking tennis lessons every week?
Why are you going to visit your dad at the retirement home on Saturday?
Sometimes your answer to the question why am I doing this?
May point you toward doing something more efficiently.
For instance, maybe the weekly update email is intended to make sure your boss knows what you're doing.
That's probably wise.
However, you could also make the email shorter with just two bulleted lists.
Projects completed this week.
And projects and process.
You're still accomplishing the goal, but in less time.
And my guess is that your manager is probably going to appreciate the brevity.
Sometimes the reason you're doing something may be that the activity made sense in the past, but you need to figure out how to make it make sense right now.
Perhaps you and your walking buddy used to live closer to each other.
You had to get home in time to get your kids ready for daycare drop off.
6 a.m. was the time that fit in your schedule.
But now you live in a different neighborhood.
You and your friend both work remotely.
Your kids are older.
Could you walk over your lunch breaks on a weekday and alternate walking in your neighborhood one week and hers the next?
You're still getting physical activity and time with your friend, but you cut the driving time in half and eliminated the need for an early wake up.
Sometimes you may realize that what you're doing just doesn't make sense anymore.
If you are not enjoying your tennis lessons, you could quit and use the time and money for something else.
Other times, the question might reconnect you with the purpose of the activity.
For example, you are visiting your father because you really want to spend time with him, and visiting him regularly is a good way to do that.
Reminding yourself of this can help you assure yourself that taking time to do this over the weekend is, in fact, the best way you could be spending your time.
Everything else can wait.
When you ask yourself, why am I doing this?
You can prompt yourself to be more intentional about your schedule.
If there's a good reason you're doing something, amazing.
And if you don't have a good reason for doing something, you have the power to adjust.
That will make time feel a bit less like being on a hamster wheel.
If you try auditing your schedule and to do list by asking, why am I doing this?
I'd love to hear what you learn.
You can reach me at Laura at LauraVanderkam.com.
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 Laura Vanderkam dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands.
I vowed I will be his last target.
He is not going to get away with this.
He's going to get what he deserves.
We always say that.
Trust your girlfriends.
Listen to The Girlfriends Trust Me Babe on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
What's up, everyone?
I'm Eka Woodham.
My next guest, it's Will Ferrell.
My dad gave me the best advice ever.
He goes, just give it a shot.
But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.
If you saw it written down, it would not be on a calendar of you.
Know the cat.
Just hang in there.
Yeah, it would not be right.
It wouldn't be that.
There's a lot of luck.
Listen to thanks dad on the iHeartRadio app, apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart podcast, guaranteed human.
