October 11, 2019 • 8 mins
How to manage workloads and expectations when life is challenging
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about how to build a reputation for
being reliable even if life isn't conspiring to help you
out in that regard. I know many people listening to
(00:25):
this podcast pride themselves on doing what they say they'll do.
I also know that this is easier for some people
than others, in ways that a lot of the productivity
literature out there doesn't always consider. I recently got a
note from a listener who asked what I suggested for
people with unpredictable or chronic medical issues. I know that
(00:46):
I have come off as unreliable at times due to
my chronic pain, and I don't like being perceived that way,
our listener writes, I agree, it's incredibly frustrating to be
seen as unreliable when it's really not your fault. I
know I'm fortunate not to be dealing with these specific
issues of a chronic medical condition, but I do have
four children, and when you are a caregiver for other people,
(01:09):
there are so many more logistics that must be dealt
with that sometimes could make you seem unreliable as well,
and this is one reason I sometimes get frustrated with
productivity literature written by people who aren't in that position
and have never even considered what would happen if a
babysitter calls in sick, or the nurse calls because your
kid needs to be picked up at school. Last year,
(01:32):
I had the experience of getting a note that one
of my books, A hundred sixty eight Hours, was being
included on a list of the best time management books
of all time. Wow, very exciting. Literally the next minute
I was on the phone with our school systems bus dispatcher.
She told me that the school bus was not going
to be able to get down our street due to
(01:54):
some work that was suddenly being done, so somebody would
need to go stand on a street corner a ways
a way to get my children. I was curious how
many other authors on that time management book list we're
dealing with such issues at that moment. That said, I
do believe that even if there are parts of life
you can't control, there are also parts you can, and
(02:16):
it is possible to build a reputation for being reliable
even if you are dealing with far more complicated circumstances
than someone who's major worry is whether he'll make it
home in time for Monday night football. Anyone dealing with
major life complications should do a few things. First, take
care of yourself. Most of us do better when we
(02:38):
are well rested, well fed, and moving our physical bodies
in whatever ways we're capable of. Surround yourself with positive
people who can keep you fully charged and in a
solution seeking mindset. Second, become aware of your time, and
even more importantly, of your energy. From my conversations with
(03:00):
but with chronic health issues, I've learned that there are
often good days and bad days, and more than that,
even good hours and bad hours. And if there's any
sort of pattern you can detect, this is helpful for
planning your life. In my case, I've certainly found patterns
with my kids schedules. I know that we have more
snow days and sick days in January than in say, October,
(03:21):
so I can try to plan big life projects around that.
If you know you generally have a reasonable amount of
energy between say, eight and nine am, you'll want to
plan important matters for that window. You can leave routine
stuff for lower energy times. Third, get in the habit
of working ahead and leaving extra space. The extra space
(03:43):
can absorb whatever goes wrong, since, as anyone with a
complicated life knows, stuff can definitely go wrong. If an
assignment is due Friday, I aim to be done by
Tuesday or Wednesday. That way, if I lose a work
day early in the week, I still have time to
make it up, or maybe I'm already done and then
I'm still on track. If I lose a day later
(04:04):
in the week, particularly for longer projects, you can often
work quite a ways ahead. Book deadlines might be assigned
a year or so out, so I planned my work
to be done several months before the deadline. That way,
anything that happens in the days or weeks before the
deadline isn't an issue. I also work ahead by taking
(04:24):
advantage of any found time when things are going well
and I'm feeling good and nothing's wrong with the kids.
So if the kids are all happy or doing something
on the weekend, I'll work then, knowing that I might
lose time during the week. This recently came in handy
when I had a major assignment do on a Wednesday.
I'd blocked out time on Monday, and Tuesday to deal
with it. But some space opened up on the weekend
(04:46):
when my husband was doing something with all the kids.
I managed to get about sev the way done. This
turned out to matter when we wound up spending the
entire latter half of Monday in the emergency room, with
follow up to doctor visits then required on Tuesday. All
is fine, thankfully, but it's nice in these circumstances not
(05:06):
to add call and explain why I need an extension
to the to do list. Fourth, well, I think of
myself as a positive person. I assume things will go wrong,
and because I make this assumption, I make plans to
address most possibilities, at least the ones I can think about.
Even though all my children are in school at least
part time now, we still have full time childcare. That way,
(05:29):
if my husband and I are both nowhere near home
and a sudden ice storm means school has dismissed three
hours early, someone is on call to deal with it,
and someone with a chronic health issue might plan to
be at an event. But if that becomes impossible because
of changing conditions, well, she's already trained someone and arranged
for that person to be able to cover it if needed,
(05:50):
with her providing virtual support if that's possible. Finally, you
might recalibrate what it means to be reliable. I found
that when you generally do what you say you're going
to do, people are incredibly understanding in the rare circumstances
when you can't. I know, if I had called my
editor and asked for an extension after the emergency room incident,
(06:13):
it would have been fine. They built in space too.
Those of us who value reliability and worry that we
might be perceived as unreliable might be surprised to learn
how many people don't do what they say they're going
to do. A physician recently mentioned that her office is
no show rate was about fifteen percent, even with calls
(06:35):
and texts and email reminders of people don't show up
for an appointment that they personally made. And when I
researched this because I was surprised by that number, I
learned that that's actually pretty good, and some specialties the
no show rate is thirty And I'm sure that many
of these people have really good reasons for not showing up,
(06:55):
but I'm also sure that others probably don't. If you're
trying hard and doing good work when you can. Most
people will understand the few times when you can't, and
over time you can make choices to create a life
where you work with people who do understand. Look for
organizations with managers who have real lives. Look for organizations
(07:16):
that don't just talk about flexibility, but actually have people
working at different times and different places. These places are
more likely to value talented employees who just need a
little extra time and a little extra space to do
amazing things, so they are the ones who deserve you.
(07:36):
In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
(08:00):
That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled
out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
(08:23):
of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the i heart Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about how to build a reputation for
being reliable even if life isn't conspiring to help you
out in that regard. I know many people listening to
(00:25):
this podcast pride themselves on doing what they say they'll do.
I also know that this is easier for some people
than others, in ways that a lot of the productivity
literature out there doesn't always consider. I recently got a
note from a listener who asked what I suggested for
people with unpredictable or chronic medical issues. I know that
(00:46):
I have come off as unreliable at times due to
my chronic pain, and I don't like being perceived that way,
our listener writes, I agree, it's incredibly frustrating to be
seen as unreliable when it's really not your fault. I
know I'm fortunate not to be dealing with these specific
issues of a chronic medical condition, but I do have
four children, and when you are a caregiver for other people,
(01:09):
there are so many more logistics that must be dealt
with that sometimes could make you seem unreliable as well,
and this is one reason I sometimes get frustrated with
productivity literature written by people who aren't in that position
and have never even considered what would happen if a
babysitter calls in sick, or the nurse calls because your
kid needs to be picked up at school. Last year,
(01:32):
I had the experience of getting a note that one
of my books, A hundred sixty eight Hours, was being
included on a list of the best time management books
of all time. Wow, very exciting. Literally the next minute
I was on the phone with our school systems bus dispatcher.
She told me that the school bus was not going
to be able to get down our street due to
(01:54):
some work that was suddenly being done, so somebody would
need to go stand on a street corner a ways
a way to get my children. I was curious how
many other authors on that time management book list we're
dealing with such issues at that moment. That said, I
do believe that even if there are parts of life
you can't control, there are also parts you can, and
(02:16):
it is possible to build a reputation for being reliable
even if you are dealing with far more complicated circumstances
than someone who's major worry is whether he'll make it
home in time for Monday night football. Anyone dealing with
major life complications should do a few things. First, take
care of yourself. Most of us do better when we
(02:38):
are well rested, well fed, and moving our physical bodies
in whatever ways we're capable of. Surround yourself with positive
people who can keep you fully charged and in a
solution seeking mindset. Second, become aware of your time, and
even more importantly, of your energy. From my conversations with
(03:00):
but with chronic health issues, I've learned that there are
often good days and bad days, and more than that,
even good hours and bad hours. And if there's any
sort of pattern you can detect, this is helpful for
planning your life. In my case, I've certainly found patterns
with my kids schedules. I know that we have more
snow days and sick days in January than in say, October,
(03:21):
so I can try to plan big life projects around that.
If you know you generally have a reasonable amount of
energy between say, eight and nine am, you'll want to
plan important matters for that window. You can leave routine
stuff for lower energy times. Third, get in the habit
of working ahead and leaving extra space. The extra space
(03:43):
can absorb whatever goes wrong, since, as anyone with a
complicated life knows, stuff can definitely go wrong. If an
assignment is due Friday, I aim to be done by
Tuesday or Wednesday. That way, if I lose a work
day early in the week, I still have time to
make it up, or maybe I'm already done and then
I'm still on track. If I lose a day later
(04:04):
in the week, particularly for longer projects, you can often
work quite a ways ahead. Book deadlines might be assigned
a year or so out, so I planned my work
to be done several months before the deadline. That way,
anything that happens in the days or weeks before the
deadline isn't an issue. I also work ahead by taking
(04:24):
advantage of any found time when things are going well
and I'm feeling good and nothing's wrong with the kids.
So if the kids are all happy or doing something
on the weekend, I'll work then, knowing that I might
lose time during the week. This recently came in handy
when I had a major assignment do on a Wednesday.
I'd blocked out time on Monday, and Tuesday to deal
with it. But some space opened up on the weekend
(04:46):
when my husband was doing something with all the kids.
I managed to get about sev the way done. This
turned out to matter when we wound up spending the
entire latter half of Monday in the emergency room, with
follow up to doctor visits then required on Tuesday. All
is fine, thankfully, but it's nice in these circumstances not
(05:06):
to add call and explain why I need an extension
to the to do list. Fourth, well, I think of
myself as a positive person. I assume things will go wrong,
and because I make this assumption, I make plans to
address most possibilities, at least the ones I can think about.
Even though all my children are in school at least
part time now, we still have full time childcare. That way,
(05:29):
if my husband and I are both nowhere near home
and a sudden ice storm means school has dismissed three
hours early, someone is on call to deal with it,
and someone with a chronic health issue might plan to
be at an event. But if that becomes impossible because
of changing conditions, well, she's already trained someone and arranged
for that person to be able to cover it if needed,
(05:50):
with her providing virtual support if that's possible. Finally, you
might recalibrate what it means to be reliable. I found
that when you generally do what you say you're going
to do, people are incredibly understanding in the rare circumstances
when you can't. I know, if I had called my
editor and asked for an extension after the emergency room incident,
(06:13):
it would have been fine. They built in space too.
Those of us who value reliability and worry that we
might be perceived as unreliable might be surprised to learn
how many people don't do what they say they're going
to do. A physician recently mentioned that her office is
no show rate was about fifteen percent, even with calls
(06:35):
and texts and email reminders of people don't show up
for an appointment that they personally made. And when I
researched this because I was surprised by that number, I
learned that that's actually pretty good, and some specialties the
no show rate is thirty And I'm sure that many
of these people have really good reasons for not showing up,
(06:55):
but I'm also sure that others probably don't. If you're
trying hard and doing good work when you can. Most
people will understand the few times when you can't, and
over time you can make choices to create a life
where you work with people who do understand. Look for
organizations with managers who have real lives. Look for organizations
(07:16):
that don't just talk about flexibility, but actually have people
working at different times and different places. These places are
more likely to value talented employees who just need a
little extra time and a little extra space to do
amazing things, so they are the ones who deserve you.
(07:36):
In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
(08:00):
That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled
out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
(08:23):
of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the i heart Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
Show Links
AboutPopular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com