Before Breakfast
In each bite-sized, daily episode of Before Breakfast, host Laura Vanderkam shares a time management strategy or an answer to a listener’s schedule question. How can listeners make the most of their time, both at work and at home? The mission is to give listeners practical tools to feel less busy and get more done.
Episodes
Second Cup: What stories does your home tell?
Make your space feel more meaningfulSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People like to give advice
Being asked for advice makes people feel like part of the teamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If they can do it
Persuade yourself and others by studying examples of successSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Being gracious, with Alison Cheperdak
Etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak shares tips for navigating tricky situations with easeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pack for specific days
Travel light by being sure to use what you bringSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Maximum memories, minimum time
Why you should plan a one-night getawaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: One tip for working with you
Try this smart ice breaker that helps you work better as a teamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Limit the stacks of stuff
A little tip to help any space stay cleanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make Sunday feel longer
How to stretch out the experience of a weekend daySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If, when, then
Decide in advance how you'll deal with circumstances that could derail your goalsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Achieve time freedom, with Brian Herriot
Brian Herriot, author of Time Freedom, shares how to take control of your time before retirementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Similarities lead to liking
Figuring out what you have in common with people makes any interaction go betterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Read in the morning
If the early sunrise has you up, use these extra minutes for something more satisfying than your phoneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: You can pivot
How to give gracious answers to awkward questionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Look for context friends
Make new friends by finding people who fill specific needsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Create your recipe for a good long weekend
Figure out what makes a long weekend satisfying, so you can repeat it in the futureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Plus, minus, next
A simple way to reflect on your schedule and your lifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to play big, with Tara Mohr
Tara Mohr, author of Playing Big, shares how to deal with feedback and try new ideasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Put down the duckie
To pursue a goal, try scaling down some other activitiesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
No roadblocks without detours
In a team, anyone saying no needs to offer other suggestionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Let your ideas ripen
Sometimes great ideas aren't workable just yetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Ask for stories, not advice
Experts are most helpful when explaining the choices they madeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where plus who
Make memories by combining special experiences with special peopleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Give it 3-6 months
Experiment to see if you want to stick with something long-termSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Solving puzzles, with A.J. Jacobs
Author and podcast host A.J. Jacobs shares how puzzles keep our brains sharpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Follow up on free information
When someone mentions somehting important in passing, circle backSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Know the odds
Understanding how likely something is can help you make better choicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Plan your travel portfolio
The case for planning more than one trip at onceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: You need a busy basket
A listener suggests an idea for screen-free entertainmentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send show notes for life
One way to stretch the fun of gathering well into the futureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Leave space for opportunity
Reduce your mental load, so you can pursue big breakthroughsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get more done as a team, with Ron Friedman
Ron Friedman, author of Superteams, shares strategies for better collaborationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Track your media
Become a more mindful consumer of everything you watch and readSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make space for possibility converstions
You can have good boundaries while still allowing new people and ideas to reach youSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: What does it cost to be you?
A smart way to think about your financial goalsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Clean for yourself
Maintaining a functional home is about being kind to your future selfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ten percent more
Making a little more time feel usable can help you get more doneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Would you be excited to do it tonight?
How to know if you want to add something into your lifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make good things last, with Eric Ries
Eric Ries, author of Incorruptible, talks about how to stay focused on a missionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Start planning something big
Today is a great day to start planning a big projectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When it hasn't been your year
Don't get stuck in a bad story -- there's plenty of time to turn the year aroundSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Notice your free time
Acknowledge the leisure time that exists, so you can savor itSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Smile at 10
Give yourself guidelines for how you'll interact with peopleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make it plain
Let people know why you are doing or asking thingsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Find a role model
Emulate someone you admire when faced with difficult choicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to keep learning, with Helen Tupper
Helen Tupper, co-author of Learn Like a Lobster, shares tips for building a resilient careerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Consider all the meeting dimensions
Plan better meetings by thinking about length, cadence, attendees, and agendaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Zoom out
Time feels more abundant when viewed through a broader lensSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Go see someone
A quick visit can have a big happiness payoff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Begin by thinking about the end
When you start a project, think about how you'll wrap it up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Look back at the year
Use graduation season to reflect on the past few monthsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The matchbox and the billboard
How to be intentional about achieving big goalsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to be OK with uncertainty, with Simone Stolzoff
Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know, shares tips for building our tolerance for uncertaintySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Don't wait until after work
If you work long hours, using mornings is the key to making life feel betterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inject moments of delight
Make any meeting just a little bit betterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Feedback is about the person giving it
Everyone likes different thingsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Enjoy your efficiency dividend
Over time, work will take less timeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Take it outside
Celebrate spring by taking your breaks outsideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make a movie of your desired habit
Make sure you can picture the actions you'll need to takeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A simple path to time abundance
Laura shares her favorite strategies for moving beyond a sense of time scarcitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make it easy to strike up a conversation
Making your interests visible invites people to connectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You've already won the lottery
Having time to manage is a gift. So what do you plan to do with it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Reflect before you connect
Think about what you'd like to discuss with friends and familySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Plan in a different place
Shift your location to shift your mindsetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Know what you're into
List what you enjoy to make your leisure time betterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let time do its job
Patience can be a superpower in a distracted worldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Finding your purpose, with Tom Rath
Tom Rath, author of What's the Point?, shares how to make work more meaningfulSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Offer multiple pathways
Let people get involved in the ways that work best for themSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Go on a yes quest
Say yes to a few things outside your comfort zone to make life more interestingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Make boundaries positive
Say what you will do, not what you won'tSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Respond even if you can't answer
Let people know you got the messageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Your life starts now
Don't wait for some future moment to pursue your goalsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6 things every professional needs
Be ready to seize opportunitiesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make a smooth transition back to work, with Lauren Smith Brody
Lauren Smith Brody, founder of the Fifth Trimester movement, shares strategies for making work and life fit togetherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why am I doing this?
Just because something is on your calendar or to-do list doesn't mean it's wise to doSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Train into the net
Be fully prepared for when things go wrongSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Make your days fulfilling, not just filled
How to make time feel more meaningfulSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Second Cup: Never waste a transition
Any fresh start is a chance to rethink routinesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Practice 8 times as much
Follow this rule of thumb to give more memorable presentationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Plan focused work early
Become more productive by doing deep work before breakfastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
