April 1, 2021 • 5 mins
Be kind to your future self and take reality into account
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
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 to make doable plans. Don't convince yourself
that you're going to do something that really isn't feasible. Instead,
(00:27):
make plans that are realistic and you will feel far
more productive. If you've been listening to Before Breakfast for
a while, you know that I am a fan of
creating short to do lists that are challenging but doable.
I am not a fan of long, unorganized lists of
(00:48):
stuff that has no chance of being done in the
time period allotted. There is no benefit to putting something
on your to do list that doesn't get done, and
in fact there's some potential harm because those make believe
to dues distract you and give you the nagging feeling
of never being done. So savior to do list for
(01:12):
what you actually intend to do. It can become a
contract with yourself. And then take this philosophy with you
through your entire schedule. I want to get up at
four thirty am tomorrow so you can get in a
workout before your six am call with colleagues in London. Really,
(01:35):
are you sure about that. Have you gotten up at
four thirty am for a workout in the past week
or two? No? Mm hmm. Interesting, Well, if you are
going to turn off your alarm without getting up to
go for a run anyway, it would be better to
get a little more sleep and avoid the jarring and,
let's face it, pointless alarm at four thirty. Likewise, lots
(01:59):
of people make plans for the weekend that are aspirational,
to say the least. Clean out the basement, the entire basement,
how about the entire garage too, Let's organize photos from
the last twenty years. You know the kind of plans
I am talking about, plans that are too ambitious for
a world where you are exhausted after a demanding week,
(02:21):
where you have scheduled commitments, and where you need to
do the laundry. What about aiming to clean out one
area of the basement or organized pictures from this past
winter instead. I've heard a lot of people say that
after a year of pandemic stress and remote work in school,
they have a little less get up and go than usual.
(02:44):
And I get that maybe you used to be able
to make it to your desk having exercised and showered
by eight. But that just doesn't feel realistic anymore. If
starting work that early isn't necessary for you, well, then
don't decide on a later start time that fits your
life now. People have all kinds of stories they tell
(03:06):
themselves about what their plans should be. You know how
these go. There's no point in exercising if you're not
going to work out for at least an hour. Children
must all go to bed precisely at eight o'clock. But
then maybe your kids aren't actually tired then and bedtime
is a battle, So you start later than you planned
every single night. Maybe just move things to eight thirty
(03:30):
and have doable plans. If you are aiming for a
target that is essential for your employer or your business model,
then you'll need to figure out how to do that.
But otherwise set more realistic goals. Doable plans are motivating
and lead to more sustainable success in the meantime. This
(03:56):
is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here is 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
(04:17):
and Instagram. At before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media
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 of I heart Radio.
(04:45):
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows. One
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 to make doable plans. Don't convince yourself
that you're going to do something that really isn't feasible. Instead,
(00:27):
make plans that are realistic and you will feel far
more productive. If you've been listening to Before Breakfast for
a while, you know that I am a fan of
creating short to do lists that are challenging but doable.
I am not a fan of long, unorganized lists of
(00:48):
stuff that has no chance of being done in the
time period allotted. There is no benefit to putting something
on your to do list that doesn't get done, and
in fact there's some potential harm because those make believe
to dues distract you and give you the nagging feeling
of never being done. So savior to do list for
(01:12):
what you actually intend to do. It can become a
contract with yourself. And then take this philosophy with you
through your entire schedule. I want to get up at
four thirty am tomorrow so you can get in a
workout before your six am call with colleagues in London. Really,
(01:35):
are you sure about that. Have you gotten up at
four thirty am for a workout in the past week
or two? No? Mm hmm. Interesting, Well, if you are
going to turn off your alarm without getting up to
go for a run anyway, it would be better to
get a little more sleep and avoid the jarring and,
let's face it, pointless alarm at four thirty. Likewise, lots
(01:59):
of people make plans for the weekend that are aspirational,
to say the least. Clean out the basement, the entire basement,
how about the entire garage too, Let's organize photos from
the last twenty years. You know the kind of plans
I am talking about, plans that are too ambitious for
a world where you are exhausted after a demanding week,
(02:21):
where you have scheduled commitments, and where you need to
do the laundry. What about aiming to clean out one
area of the basement or organized pictures from this past
winter instead. I've heard a lot of people say that
after a year of pandemic stress and remote work in school,
they have a little less get up and go than usual.
(02:44):
And I get that maybe you used to be able
to make it to your desk having exercised and showered
by eight. But that just doesn't feel realistic anymore. If
starting work that early isn't necessary for you, well, then
don't decide on a later start time that fits your
life now. People have all kinds of stories they tell
(03:06):
themselves about what their plans should be. You know how
these go. There's no point in exercising if you're not
going to work out for at least an hour. Children
must all go to bed precisely at eight o'clock. But
then maybe your kids aren't actually tired then and bedtime
is a battle, So you start later than you planned
every single night. Maybe just move things to eight thirty
(03:30):
and have doable plans. If you are aiming for a
target that is essential for your employer or your business model,
then you'll need to figure out how to do that.
But otherwise set more realistic goals. Doable plans are motivating
and lead to more sustainable success in the meantime. This
(03:56):
is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here is 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
(04:17):
and Instagram. At before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media
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 of I heart Radio.
(04:45):
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows. One
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
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