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 the second in a five part series on how to take control of your time in the new year. This week, I'll be talking about five strategies that I know will help you feel less busy and get more done because they've definitely helped me. The first tip was to track your time. The second tip is to add before you subtract. Here's what I mean when it comes to time. We spend a lot of time and effort thinking about what we'd like to spend less time doing, and it makes sense on some level if we can shave bits of time off things that don't matter, it seems like we'll have all kinds of time for the good stuff. And that's the theory behind the vast major already of time hacks I read online. I keep looking at these articles hoping I'm going to find some life changing strategy that will help me find hours in the day I didn't know existed. But then the tips are always things like, if you need to microwave something for about twenty seconds, you can save time by pressing to two instead of to zero. I mean, come on, do people think we're really going to build amazing lives by saving a few seconds here and there? Is hitting to zero on the microwave instead of T two keeping you from greatness? I doubt it. I believe this advice has it completely backward. We don't build the lives we want by saving time. We build the lives we want and then time saves itself. So instead I want you to focus on addition rather than subtraction. Hopefully this week you're tracking your time. But whether you are or you aren't, ask yourself this question, what would you like to spend more time doing? What isn't in your life that you'd like to see there? What are you doing once or twice a week, or for a few minutes that you'd like to do a lot more of what makes you happiest and most energized. Take a few minutes today to think about this and make a list. Then choose one item on the list that seems doable. Maybe you enjoy reading crime novels. Maybe you like to take walks outside in the middle of the day. Maybe you enjoy playing with your dogs in the backyard. Whatever it is, figure this out and challenge yourself to spend one more hour in the next few days doing this. When could this happen? What logistics do you need to take care of? If a whole hour in one chunk isn't appropriate, maybe think about smaller chunks. But I'm guessing you can find the time somewhere. Maybe you make sure you have a really good crime novel and you set non alarm for thirty minutes before bed to read it. Do that for two days and you've gotten your hour in. Or when you're puttering around after work, go grab the dogs and go outside with your frisbee. And then as you build in this hour, something magical happens. The stuff you don't want to do, the stuff we look for life hacks to trim just naturally takes less time. When I'm deeply absorbed in a writing project, I've spend less time in my inbox. I do this regardless of whether I am using some email hack like typing k instead of okay in my emails. Best to make time for the writing rather than ditch the letter. Oh so, what will you add into your life? You can let me know before Breakfast podcast at ihart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of our time. M 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. That's b E 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. For more podcasts from my 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 the second in a five part series on how to take control of your time in the new year. This week, I'll be talking about five strategies that I know will help you feel less busy and get more done because they've definitely helped me. The first tip was to track your time. The second tip is to add before you subtract. Here's what I mean when it comes to time. We spend a lot of time and effort thinking about what we'd like to spend less time doing, and it makes sense on some level if we can shave bits of time off things that don't matter, it seems like we'll have all kinds of time for the good stuff. And that's the theory behind the vast major already of time hacks I read online. I keep looking at these articles hoping I'm going to find some life changing strategy that will help me find hours in the day I didn't know existed. But then the tips are always things like, if you need to microwave something for about twenty seconds, you can save time by pressing to two instead of to zero. I mean, come on, do people think we're really going to build amazing lives by saving a few seconds here and there? Is hitting to zero on the microwave instead of T two keeping you from greatness? I doubt it. I believe this advice has it completely backward. We don't build the lives we want by saving time. We build the lives we want and then time saves itself. So instead I want you to focus on addition rather than subtraction. Hopefully this week you're tracking your time. But whether you are or you aren't, ask yourself this question, what would you like to spend more time doing? What isn't in your life that you'd like to see there? What are you doing once or twice a week, or for a few minutes that you'd like to do a lot more of what makes you happiest and most energized. Take a few minutes today to think about this and make a list. Then choose one item on the list that seems doable. Maybe you enjoy reading crime novels. Maybe you like to take walks outside in the middle of the day. Maybe you enjoy playing with your dogs in the backyard. Whatever it is, figure this out and challenge yourself to spend one more hour in the next few days doing this. When could this happen? What logistics do you need to take care of? If a whole hour in one chunk isn't appropriate, maybe think about smaller chunks. But I'm guessing you can find the time somewhere. Maybe you make sure you have a really good crime novel and you set non alarm for thirty minutes before bed to read it. Do that for two days and you've gotten your hour in. Or when you're puttering around after work, go grab the dogs and go outside with your frisbee. And then as you build in this hour, something magical happens. The stuff you don't want to do, the stuff we look for life hacks to trim just naturally takes less time. When I'm deeply absorbed in a writing project, I've spend less time in my inbox. I do this regardless of whether I am using some email hack like typing k instead of okay in my emails. Best to make time for the writing rather than ditch the letter. Oh so, what will you add into your life? You can let me know before Breakfast podcast at ihart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of our time. M 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. That's b E 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. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.