027 Getting Back to Work – ProductivityCast

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are you ready to manage your work and

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personal world better to live a

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fulfilling productive life then you’ve

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come to the right place

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productivity cast the weekly show about

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all things productivity here are your

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hosts ray Sydney Smith and Augusto

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pronounces weight and art Galax welcome

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back everybody to productivity cast the

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weekly show about all things personal

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productivity I’m ray Sydney Smith and

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I’m joined here with Augusto pinaud

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Frances weight and art Galax welcome

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gentlemen to the show thank you great to

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be here hey guys how’s it going pretty

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well pretty well how’s it going with you

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I’ve discovered that I’ve managed to do

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something unfortunate to my Chromebook

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there’s a setting in most of these that

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allow you to change your trackpad to

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what’s called Australian mode and I’m

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thinking oh that would be cool no it

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turns the trackpad upside down like the

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toilets right roll is now upside down

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now so my prod productivity is

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officially half today because every

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scroll is taking twice so yep yep I

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totally get that that’s like the on max

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you can you can scroll two finger scroll

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up or down on the touchpad and of course

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I’m very skeuomorphic so I believe that

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the pad should be you should push up in

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order to push a piece of paper up and so

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therefore that should be the way the

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browser and all browsing should take

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place on the screen other people

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swipe down as though you have a cursor

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right so if you take the cursor to the

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scroll bar you would drag it down but

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that’s actually not how you would swipe

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on a screen most certainly not

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so I’ve matched the screen concept and

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there’s a hefty debate about which is

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the quote-unquote right way but well I’m

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going to need to internet Sarah here the

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right way is sweet hop as you were

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describing the other ways a Windows way

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didn’t work on Windows hasn’t work well

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in Windows I may need to say but you

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know us with the water on the toilet

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happened I don’t know if that discussion

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but let me say it the Australian Way as

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your discs are

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is what the Mac did in virgin years ago

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I don’t remember now which operating

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system when they invert it to make it

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exactly what ray was describing you want

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to go up you push it so the screen goes

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up and down that is after you I agree

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that if you have never used it at the

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beginning it takes a little bit more but

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as soon as you get used when you need to

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go back to the cursor mode it it doesn’t

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makes the cursor mode doesn’t make sense

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I don’t wait so you’re telling me that

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this Australian mode of scrolling is the

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standard on the Mac yeah I know to turn

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it off thank you for making that

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decision easy well let’s let’s get back

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on track

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and and it’s kind of the topic of our

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discussion today which is back to work

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what we’re talking about in terms of

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back to work today is really how to

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become productive after being away from

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work for a while and this could be

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planned and unplanned or unplanned time

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away it could be short or long in terms

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of duration and so I wanted to start off

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with what are the various reasons why

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people are away and Augusto maybe you

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can tell us a little bit about the

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impetus the genesis for having brought

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up this topic in the first place so my

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wife and I have never take a lot of

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vacation understanding location you know

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the the families who are people who go

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and say okay the next seven days I’m

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going to go somewhere on off and I’m not

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going to check work email and stuff my

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wife and I have been travel with our

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work year for years and we may take a

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afternoon off but even when we go and

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travel to a different country or to a

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different city we always travel with

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work you know there is something that we

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find rewarding about being able to work

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on a different city and on a different

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environment and in many cases even super

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productive so

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so we we have never really suffered

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necessarily what people came or called

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it the back to work backlog you know but

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recently we took a trip to New Jersey

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and I was particularly exhausted from

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work so I decided to Monday off and

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Monday roll into Tuesday of Tuesday roll

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into Friday somehow so when when I came

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back to the office

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on on Monday I really have a significant

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backlog of his stuff to take care of and

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it brought the point of all this is what

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people mean was a terrible backlog and

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now what I’m going to to do with all

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this so that’s how the topic of the show

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came I was curious of if we’re riu SFIL

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for people to get tools on how to get

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back after those kind of things then the

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other thing that happened to me so I

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went for work to Vegas and I’m back into

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the office and it was for a trade show

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so most of my day was during the trade

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show even that I did some of the stuff

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at night in the hotel so today I have a

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nice pack of paper in front of my desk

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that is also part of that backlog of

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getting back to work so I proposed the

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topic because I thought it was going to

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be interesting how everybody here deal

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with that because I’m sure and in one

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way or the other do you guys have deal

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with this going away from work for X

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number of days and coming back to the

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backlog but also with the need of catch

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up to speed as soon as possible yeah I

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wanted to I want to also say that you

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know not just for a work trip like you

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did or a family vacation you know there

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can be other kinds of times away from

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work you know this could be

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for illness or surgery whether that be a

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positive or you know a corrective

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surgery you know the maternity and or

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paternity leave if you adhere to maybe

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Tim Ferriss as concepts of of these mini

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retirements you could have you could

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have taken some kind of sabbatical or if

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your professor or in academia you know

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there’s this idea of sabbaticals you

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could be away from work for planned

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reasons that can be of a duration much

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longer than just a week or two so I want

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us to all have this conversation about

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both planned and unplanned time away

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from work and how to get back on and I

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wanted to maybe start with the opposite

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which is for that for that for those

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situations where we have planned to be

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away what are some good ways to prepare

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for time away from work yeah well before

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before I dive too deep into the idea of

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preparing for the plan I think one of

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the biggest issues that you run into is

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people use the ability to work while

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they’re away as kind of a

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get-out-of-jail-free card for actually

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doing proper planning somebody who is

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going to be let’s say going away for a

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week of vacation if they’re going away

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and they’re going to take their laptop

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with them they’re going to take their

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smartphone with them they’re going to

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check their email things like that

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they’ve basically given themselves a

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reason to not fully plan and prepare if

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you want to impress me plan to be

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disconnected for that time period yes

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you always have the option to connect

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and if situations require it but set

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your planning up around not having to be

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engaged in whatever you’re trying to

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take a vacation from that’s the only way

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this is really worthwhile otherwise

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you’re just working from a remote

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location so with that being said I think

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the second part of the planned absence

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really is the self creating or self

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generate

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stress that we induce because we think

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we start to think about all the possible

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things that could go wrong and we start

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to look at all the possible use cases

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and we just build that stress level now

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some people don’t do that some people

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just pack up and go and they’re like

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whatever you guys fend for yourselves

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which is fine that’s one way of looking

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at it but I think in many cases you find

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people who are just like well you know

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this could go wrong where this could

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happen or this could happen and how am I

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gonna take that’s not planning that’s

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panic and it’s gonna take away from

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whatever you’re off doing because in the

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back of your mind you’re going to have

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you know as as allen talks about the

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open loops of these activities you’ve

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got to close those you’ve got to look at

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all of those and say okay is this

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something I can deal with is it

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something I can I can set up an

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opportunity to deal with it in advance

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or is it just something that’s just

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gonna have to wait and give your

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permission give yourself permission to

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allow things to wait there’s a lot of

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moving parts but when it really comes

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down to it if you think about those

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different plans cycles rarely are they

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different if you’re taking three days

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off or two weeks off it’s just the

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length of time the things you have to

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take into consideration they may

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increase with time but they’re still

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going to be the same core types of

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things that you have to deal with so if

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you give yourself permission to do a

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mental exercise take a half hour take

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two hours take four hours out of a week

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and say how would I be prepared to leave

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for a week and go through that exercise

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before you actually have to do it you

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set yourself up for a lot more success

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and you bring up David Allen in the

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getting things done methodology and

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frequently in David Allen’s talks he

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talks about this idea of how how would

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you feel if you operated as though you

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were leaving on vacation all the

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preparatory work that you do in

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preparation of leaving for work and

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again that goes back to your concept of

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whether you’re someone who just you know

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drops everything and walks away from

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your desk when you go on vacation or

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whether you’re somebody who

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has responsibility to others and

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therefore make sure that everyone kind

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of is prepared for your leaving for your

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absence and I think that’s a completely

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kind of different thing than what we’re

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talking about but kind of the same in a

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lot of ways do you agree or disagree art

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I think I agree and disagree because

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it’s it really varies it’s very

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individual I mean if we try to put

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together a core recommendation of this

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is what you should do to prepare for a

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week’s vacation it’s going to be wrong

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80% of the time for 80% of the people

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because of what they do and what they

262
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have to take care of and how they have

263
00:11:50,170 –> 00:11:58,570
to handle it there’s basic guidelines

264
00:11:54,010 –> 00:12:01,990
that we can all follow but when it

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really comes down to being able to

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execute and relax somewhere to be able

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to go somewhere and sit on a beach or

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you know go to the mountains or go to an

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event or whatever and know that yep you

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00:12:14,680 –> 00:12:20,350
know what everything’s handled that’s a

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that’s a really hard step in the process

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and I think you have to start small you

273
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have to start with how would I do this

274
00:12:26,890 –> 00:12:31,900
for a day and not the okay I’ll deal

275
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with it when I get back I think that’s

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probably the biggest mistake if we let

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ourselves plan around recovery after

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rather than dealing with before we’re

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just setting ourselves up for a bad

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state because we we all know that the

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work doubles and triples one of my

282
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co-workers came in this morning and he’s

283
00:12:51,370 –> 00:12:55,600
he’s like well let’s see I wonder what

284
00:12:53,620 –> 00:12:58,110
the over-under on the number of emails I

285
00:12:55,600 –> 00:13:00,190
got for being out if three days are and

286
00:12:58,110 –> 00:13:01,810
we were chuckling because I’m like well

287
00:13:00,190 –> 00:13:06,280
you’re probably looking at three digits

288
00:13:01,810 –> 00:13:07,570
and that’s highly highly common so how

289
00:13:06,280 –> 00:13:10,050
do you prepare for that how do you

290
00:13:07,570 –> 00:13:12,400
prepare for walking into that fire hose

291
00:13:10,050 –> 00:13:14,800
there’s only so much you can do and you

292
00:13:12,400 –> 00:13:16,660
have to realistically say you know I’m

293
00:13:14,800 –> 00:13:18,580
gonna do the best I can to prep for this

294
00:13:16,660 –> 00:13:21,400
and I’ll deal with things as they need

295
00:13:18,580 –> 00:13:24,100
to but the more I can lay out

296
00:13:21,400 –> 00:13:24,940
address the better off I’m gonna be so I

297
00:13:24,100 –> 00:13:26,320
don’t know if that answered your

298
00:13:24,940 –> 00:13:28,240
question or not but that’s kind of where

299
00:13:26,320 –> 00:13:29,350
my thing I get it I get it I don’t know

300
00:13:28,240 –> 00:13:31,810
if have you ever taken the real vacation

301
00:13:29,350 –> 00:13:37,720
no I’m listening to what real vacation

302
00:13:31,810 –> 00:13:40,930
so sounds like I’m sort of aligned with

303
00:13:37,720 –> 00:13:45,400
a gusto in the in my behavior which is

304
00:13:40,930 –> 00:13:47,260
that vacation for me is I’m sort of

305
00:13:45,400 –> 00:13:48,730
struggling here because I think I should

306
00:13:47,260 –> 00:13:50,290
be thinking differently than what I’m

307
00:13:48,730 –> 00:13:54,610
thinking because what I’m thinking is

308
00:13:50,290 –> 00:13:58,150
that you know in a world of work-life

309
00:13:54,610 –> 00:14:00,730
integration that there is no big V

310
00:13:58,150 –> 00:14:02,890
vacation and and frankly I’m not I’m not

311
00:14:00,730 –> 00:14:05,140
really interested in a big V vacation in

312
00:14:02,890 –> 00:14:07,390
the sense that I sit on a beach I live a

313
00:14:05,140 –> 00:14:08,680
country where I live in the mountains on

314
00:14:07,390 –> 00:14:13,750
the beaches five minutes away

315
00:14:08,680 –> 00:14:16,750
oh my god lucky well yeah but I don’t

316
00:14:13,750 –> 00:14:19,030
spend four days in a resort sitting on

317
00:14:16,750 –> 00:14:20,350
the beach big you know it’s kind of like

318
00:14:19,030 –> 00:14:23,050
but why would I do that you know it’s

319
00:14:20,350 –> 00:14:25,150
now I go to the beach and I love the

320
00:14:23,050 –> 00:14:27,610
mountains I go hiking running in the

321
00:14:25,150 –> 00:14:30,700
mountains every week but it’s a matter

322
00:14:27,610 –> 00:14:32,530
of lifestyle as opposed to be so binary

323
00:14:30,700 –> 00:14:34,000
which makes me think that there’s a lot

324
00:14:32,530 –> 00:14:37,360
of people who may be in the same

325
00:14:34,000 –> 00:14:39,520
position which is that there there’s a

326
00:14:37,360 –> 00:14:42,310
there’s it’s more a matter of tuning

327
00:14:39,520 –> 00:14:45,010
your mind so that your imbalance whether

328
00:14:42,310 –> 00:14:46,630
regardless of where your body is at that

329
00:14:45,010 –> 00:14:50,290
if your body is in the office its

330
00:14:46,630 –> 00:14:52,540
imbalance if your body is at home on the

331
00:14:50,290 –> 00:14:55,000
weekend it’s imbalance if your body is

332
00:14:52,540 –> 00:14:57,220
in your office in Pittsburgh if your

333
00:14:55,000 –> 00:14:59,110
body is on the beach in Jamaica that

334
00:14:57,220 –> 00:15:01,780
regardless of where you are I’m

335
00:14:59,110 –> 00:15:04,030
wondering if a skill the common skill

336
00:15:01,780 –> 00:15:07,720
isn’t the same it’s just that the blend

337
00:15:04,030 –> 00:15:09,970
of time working versus non-working just

338
00:15:07,720 –> 00:15:11,290
shifts but in my case it never goes to

339
00:15:09,970 –> 00:15:16,810
zero I don’t want to go on a vacation

340
00:15:11,290 –> 00:15:20,230
where I can’t work because for me man is

341
00:15:16,810 –> 00:15:24,160
an artist right she’s a painter and I

342
00:15:20,230 –> 00:15:26,710
don’t think she stops painting in the

343
00:15:24,160 –> 00:15:28,510
sense that she stops creating and that’s

344
00:15:26,710 –> 00:15:30,940
not really time I my life’s a live in

345
00:15:28,510 –> 00:15:33,940
the same way that I really love what I

346
00:15:30,940 –> 00:15:35,330
do and I love it so much that if you

347
00:15:33,940 –> 00:15:38,480
sent me on a vacation

348
00:15:35,330 –> 00:15:40,760
capital V vacation somewhere it’s a to

349
00:15:38,480 –> 00:15:43,250
London what I would do is go find a way

350
00:15:40,760 –> 00:15:45,320
to start working but not working in the

351
00:15:43,250 –> 00:15:47,840
drudgery sense working in the creative

352
00:15:45,320 –> 00:15:48,530
sense because I don’t want to turn the

353
00:15:47,840 –> 00:15:50,150
top off

354
00:15:48,530 –> 00:15:51,470
I don’t want to stop being creative I

355
00:15:50,150 –> 00:15:54,740
don’t want to stop doing that kind of

356
00:15:51,470 –> 00:15:58,370
work I have a suspicion that until the

357
00:15:54,740 –> 00:16:01,340
day I drop that I’m gonna be fighting

358
00:15:58,370 –> 00:16:03,590
with this balance but subtly shifting it

359
00:16:01,340 –> 00:16:05,510
as opposed to turning it on are on if I

360
00:16:03,590 –> 00:16:08,030
have the choice so this is only four of

361
00:16:05,510 –> 00:16:09,980
course the plan Viki planned vacation

362
00:16:08,030 –> 00:16:11,870
I’ll be turning it on and off I won’t be

363
00:16:09,980 –> 00:16:14,290
turning it on enough in this memory it

364
00:16:11,870 –> 00:16:16,610
said I’ll be going from eighty twenty to

365
00:16:14,290 –> 00:16:18,830
thirty seventy does that make any sense

366
00:16:16,610 –> 00:16:22,340
absolutely and I think it’s really

367
00:16:18,830 –> 00:16:25,100
interesting that the I think I see it

368
00:16:22,340 –> 00:16:26,690
very similarly with the artists and your

369
00:16:25,100 –> 00:16:28,220
wife as an example is actually a really

370
00:16:26,690 –> 00:16:31,430
good example here and then I’ll bring

371
00:16:28,220 –> 00:16:33,320
you in Augusto which is that the the

372
00:16:31,430 –> 00:16:35,930
idea that you’re always looking for

373
00:16:33,320 –> 00:16:37,070
inspiration even when you’re not working

374
00:16:35,930 –> 00:16:38,750
I think there’s something something

375
00:16:37,070 –> 00:16:40,880
something of great value there and I

376
00:16:38,750 –> 00:16:42,710
think that’s why time away for me is

377
00:16:40,880 –> 00:16:45,770
actually more important than I’ve ever

378
00:16:42,710 –> 00:16:48,410
valued it in my life I mean I I was like

379
00:16:45,770 –> 00:16:50,060
you Frances for many many years and and

380
00:16:48,410 –> 00:16:52,340
I’ve somewhat shifted now and I don’t

381
00:16:50,060 –> 00:16:55,220
know whether that’s better for worse but

382
00:16:52,340 –> 00:16:58,190
it is better for me in the sense that I

383
00:16:55,220 –> 00:17:01,640
now see inspiration in places I hadn’t

384
00:16:58,190 –> 00:17:05,209
thought I would find it so oh it doesn’t

385
00:17:01,640 –> 00:17:07,940
away doesn’t mean doesn’t it doesn’t

386
00:17:05,209 –> 00:17:10,010
mean going to the beach in Jamaica I’m

387
00:17:07,940 –> 00:17:12,410
not thinking about work in in that sense

388
00:17:10,010 –> 00:17:16,940
it’s your body could be on the beach in

389
00:17:12,410 –> 00:17:19,959
Jamaica and as your mind relaxes ideas

390
00:17:16,940 –> 00:17:22,760
could start to come with respect to work

391
00:17:19,959 –> 00:17:26,810
absolutely absolutely i mean III being

392
00:17:22,760 –> 00:17:28,970
in I was just recently in in Ohio and I

393
00:17:26,810 –> 00:17:31,420
was in Cleveland and just the idea of

394
00:17:28,970 –> 00:17:35,720
walking around some of the Main Street

395
00:17:31,420 –> 00:17:37,760
areas of the town you know triggered all

396
00:17:35,720 –> 00:17:38,870
kinds of thoughts about you know small

397
00:17:37,760 –> 00:17:41,810
businesses and small businesses

398
00:17:38,870 –> 00:17:44,000
marketing in a Main Street district and

399
00:17:41,810 –> 00:17:47,300
that’s my area of specialty so it just

400
00:17:44,000 –> 00:17:48,920
it always is reminding me and cling me

401
00:17:47,300 –> 00:17:49,160
into the way in which people are doing

402
00:17:48,920 –> 00:17:51,830
things

403
00:17:49,160 –> 00:17:54,410
yeah I just I really I really feel that

404
00:17:51,830 –> 00:17:56,660
concept quite closely I like the idea of

405
00:17:54,410 –> 00:18:00,080
an individual rating vacation as opposed

406
00:17:56,660 –> 00:18:02,180
to a sort of the brain-dead model which

407
00:18:00,080 –> 00:18:03,800
is sort of the popular model that I go

408
00:18:02,180 –> 00:18:06,620
and I lock my brain off and I don’t

409
00:18:03,800 –> 00:18:10,270
think while I’m on vacation as opposed

410
00:18:06,620 –> 00:18:14,690
to I come back inspired rested

411
00:18:10,270 –> 00:18:15,950
invigorated challenged if I can’t work

412
00:18:14,690 –> 00:18:19,550
in on your experience in a brand new

413
00:18:15,950 –> 00:18:21,160
country I love to do that but it’s

414
00:18:19,550 –> 00:18:24,260
because of the inspiration of not the

415
00:18:21,160 –> 00:18:25,910
brittleness so to speak people vacation

416
00:18:24,260 –> 00:18:28,430
in different ways some people’s jobs

417
00:18:25,910 –> 00:18:30,560
require them to take vacations that

418
00:18:28,430 –> 00:18:32,720
allow them to disconnect and

419
00:18:30,560 –> 00:18:34,940
depressurize because of the the nature

420
00:18:32,720 –> 00:18:37,700
of their job so going back to our

421
00:18:34,940 –> 00:18:39,230
original question if you’re planning on

422
00:18:37,700 –> 00:18:41,360
taking a creative vacation if you’re

423
00:18:39,230 –> 00:18:43,160
planning on taking a relaxing vacation

424
00:18:41,360 –> 00:18:44,840
if you’re planning on just running and

425
00:18:43,160 –> 00:18:47,060
hiding under a rock for a while it

426
00:18:44,840 –> 00:18:49,160
doesn’t really matter how do you prep

427
00:18:47,060 –> 00:18:53,270
how do you make sure you’re going to get

428
00:18:49,160 –> 00:18:59,270
the most out of that incredibly precious

429
00:18:53,270 –> 00:19:01,130
resource of non-working time and I agree

430
00:18:59,270 –> 00:19:04,670
you know when when you describe it that

431
00:19:01,130 –> 00:19:06,620
way it was quite interesting when you

432
00:19:04,670 –> 00:19:08,960
make description art of what that

433
00:19:06,620 –> 00:19:11,720
vacation is yes as I said we have bring

434
00:19:08,960 –> 00:19:14,750
their work year for years but we have

435
00:19:11,720 –> 00:19:18,650
never considered the same as work

436
00:19:14,750 –> 00:19:21,380
remotely mostly for two things one there

437
00:19:18,650 –> 00:19:24,110
is a bunch of things related to work

438
00:19:21,380 –> 00:19:26,540
that are handle so they don’t need to be

439
00:19:24,110 –> 00:19:31,180
dealt during that time that we’re going

440
00:19:26,540 –> 00:19:35,600
to be away and second usually there is

441
00:19:31,180 –> 00:19:38,060
work related that may come with us that

442
00:19:35,600 –> 00:19:40,750
is really specific so it’s not oh we’re

443
00:19:38,060 –> 00:19:44,960
going to work on everything that show up

444
00:19:40,750 –> 00:19:47,530
during the next X number of days that

445
00:19:44,960 –> 00:19:51,530
we’re going to be away it is more a

446
00:19:47,530 –> 00:19:54,770
creative vacation in a way where it’s

447
00:19:51,530 –> 00:19:58,340
the working gear is coming in case of an

448
00:19:54,770 –> 00:20:01,430
emergency but mostly is coming in case

449
00:19:58,340 –> 00:20:02,790
we have the opportunity to find that

450
00:20:01,430 –> 00:20:05,610
inspiration and what

451
00:20:02,790 –> 00:20:08,090
into that inspirations and I agree with

452
00:20:05,610 –> 00:20:13,170
you when you describe that preparation

453
00:20:08,090 –> 00:20:16,560
that that is probably the most important

454
00:20:13,170 –> 00:20:18,810
part of what we do is and it’s exactly

455
00:20:16,560 –> 00:20:22,680
what allows that even as I’m looking at

456
00:20:18,810 –> 00:20:26,030
my desk right now which is interesting

457
00:20:22,680 –> 00:20:29,580
amount of things to process this morning

458
00:20:26,030 –> 00:20:34,080
there is no stress on that I knew before

459
00:20:29,580 –> 00:20:37,170
I pack for for Vegas that I was going to

460
00:20:34,080 –> 00:20:39,990
come to that so there is a lot of time

461
00:20:37,170 –> 00:20:43,350
that was taken into consideration to

462
00:20:39,990 –> 00:20:46,230
have today for example in the morning

463
00:20:43,350 –> 00:20:48,740
enough time to process if not everything

464
00:20:46,230 –> 00:20:52,170
asked masks as far as much as possible

465
00:20:48,740 –> 00:20:54,960
so so I agree with you on the

466
00:20:52,170 –> 00:20:59,640
preparation even that maybe consciously

467
00:20:54,960 –> 00:21:03,270
I was and aware as I should on how much

468
00:20:59,640 –> 00:21:06,720
preparation goes for us into this trip

469
00:21:03,270 –> 00:21:11,010
it’s not for us if not let’s work remote

470
00:21:06,720 –> 00:21:13,050
it is we are going to go away and we’re

471
00:21:11,010 –> 00:21:16,320
going to work or we’re going to work on

472
00:21:13,050 –> 00:21:18,840
things that require a different set of

473
00:21:16,320 –> 00:21:22,620
tools elements environment even

474
00:21:18,840 –> 00:21:25,680
quietness maybe that the place where we

475
00:21:22,620 –> 00:21:29,150
are pushing every day to work you know

476
00:21:25,680 –> 00:21:32,610
and that’s exactly what allow us to make

477
00:21:29,150 –> 00:21:35,970
those weeks so effective so maybe as

478
00:21:32,610 –> 00:21:37,830
Francis described and I haven’t call it

479
00:21:35,970 –> 00:21:40,170
that way or considering that way but

480
00:21:37,830 –> 00:21:45,300
it’s interesting maybe what my wife and

481
00:21:40,170 –> 00:21:47,100
I do is we take creative burst of time

482
00:21:45,300 –> 00:21:49,560
so maybe we take Friday Saturday and

483
00:21:47,100 –> 00:21:52,980
Sunday as a creative burst of time where

484
00:21:49,560 –> 00:21:56,010
we can disconnect from the grind without

485
00:21:52,980 –> 00:21:58,830
necessarily unplugging a hundred percent

486
00:21:56,010 –> 00:22:02,850
from work so what I’m what I’m hearing

487
00:21:58,830 –> 00:22:06,750
from from us as a kind of consensus is

488
00:22:02,850 –> 00:22:09,780
that we should plan for what we are

489
00:22:06,750 –> 00:22:11,610
going to do or not do while we’re away

490
00:22:09,780 –> 00:22:14,820
from work if we have the opportunity to

491
00:22:11,610 –> 00:22:16,770
plan for our absence then we should at

492
00:22:14,820 –> 00:22:19,140
least plan for what we are a firm

493
00:22:16,770 –> 00:22:22,350
going to do and affirmative really not

494
00:22:19,140 –> 00:22:24,360
going to do and obviously emergencies

495
00:22:22,350 –> 00:22:25,050
happen as you said acousto but for the

496
00:22:24,360 –> 00:22:27,120
most part

497
00:22:25,050 –> 00:22:30,480
knowing that upfront I think is really

498
00:22:27,120 –> 00:22:34,890
is really powerful to our overall stress

499
00:22:30,480 –> 00:22:36,780
or distressing while we’re away I wanted

500
00:22:34,890 –> 00:22:39,540
to also point out the two good questions

501
00:22:36,780 –> 00:22:42,150
that I like to ask as well of myself

502
00:22:39,540 –> 00:22:45,510
before I leave is what will others need

503
00:22:42,150 –> 00:22:48,120
from me while I’m away and what will

504
00:22:45,510 –> 00:22:50,520
what will I need to do when I return to

505
00:22:48,120 –> 00:22:53,220
work when I’m getting back to work what

506
00:22:50,520 –> 00:22:56,280
will I need to do when I get back there

507
00:22:53,220 –> 00:22:58,770
because that will help me sort of

508
00:22:56,280 –> 00:23:01,800
accelerate once I hit the ground on the

509
00:22:58,770 –> 00:23:03,660
opposite side of in this case vacation

510
00:23:01,800 –> 00:23:07,170
or just any time away from work

511
00:23:03,660 –> 00:23:10,020
altogether I wanted to switch gears now

512
00:23:07,170 –> 00:23:13,590
to talking about some of the technique

513
00:23:10,020 –> 00:23:17,820
techniques that we we can do once we do

514
00:23:13,590 –> 00:23:20,190
get back from time away and and and what

515
00:23:17,820 –> 00:23:23,070
are some of those fundamental either

516
00:23:20,190 –> 00:23:25,070
tactics or strategies that we can use to

517
00:23:23,070 –> 00:23:27,750
productively on-ramp to productively

518
00:23:25,070 –> 00:23:30,090
accelerate I like this I like this

519
00:23:27,750 –> 00:23:33,000
acceleration Lane and deceleration Lane

520
00:23:30,090 –> 00:23:34,890
analogy as you all know so how do we how

521
00:23:33,000 –> 00:23:36,510
do we how do we get ourselves into the

522
00:23:34,890 –> 00:23:38,570
acceleration Lane and what can we do

523
00:23:36,510 –> 00:23:41,670
while we’re there to get up to speed

524
00:23:38,570 –> 00:23:44,640
quickly easily more efficiently more

525
00:23:41,670 –> 00:23:48,240
effectively right well for me getting

526
00:23:44,640 –> 00:23:51,330
back I have to make sure the schedule

527
00:23:48,240 –> 00:23:55,230
sort of readjustment time because if I

528
00:23:51,330 –> 00:23:57,210
flipped from a 20 to 30 70 it’s not a

529
00:23:55,230 –> 00:23:59,580
matter of just landing and all of a

530
00:23:57,210 –> 00:24:02,130
sudden being in the frame of mind that I

531
00:23:59,580 –> 00:24:04,410
was in before I left I need a lot of

532
00:24:02,130 –> 00:24:06,960
time to sort of get him get back into

533
00:24:04,410 –> 00:24:08,640
the groove when I travel for long

534
00:24:06,960 –> 00:24:11,760
periods of time to other countries and

535
00:24:08,640 –> 00:24:13,410
to say when I come back or come back

536
00:24:11,760 –> 00:24:16,050
home I was living in two countries for

537
00:24:13,410 –> 00:24:17,730
last couple years and when I would

538
00:24:16,050 –> 00:24:20,490
switch countries after a month or two

539
00:24:17,730 –> 00:24:23,310
months I’d walk into the apartment or

540
00:24:20,490 –> 00:24:25,980
the house and everything would look

541
00:24:23,310 –> 00:24:28,020
weird it was like what an hour I’d be

542
00:24:25,980 –> 00:24:30,540
like oh my god because it would look

543
00:24:28,020 –> 00:24:33,600
oddly familiar but but still

544
00:24:30,540 –> 00:24:36,060
strange and it would take me at least a

545
00:24:33,600 –> 00:24:38,100
couple hours to sort of adjust to the

546
00:24:36,060 –> 00:24:39,840
physical environment alone the work just

547
00:24:38,100 –> 00:24:41,190
a physical environment so of course

548
00:24:39,840 –> 00:24:42,930
during those two hours I’m useless I

549
00:24:41,190 –> 00:24:44,580
couldn’t do it I couldn’t do anything of

550
00:24:42,930 –> 00:24:48,330
any real value let alone anything

551
00:24:44,580 –> 00:24:51,720
challenging so I think the rifle back

552
00:24:48,330 –> 00:24:54,690
requires some sort of easing in there’s

553
00:24:51,720 –> 00:24:56,490
a I think it’s a sort of a mystique

554
00:24:54,690 –> 00:24:57,870
maybe to jump right into a meeting as

555
00:24:56,490 –> 00:25:01,410
soon as you get back I’ve done that

556
00:24:57,870 –> 00:25:04,770
before and also dumped into replying to

557
00:25:01,410 –> 00:25:05,970
email I think there’s a soft entry that

558
00:25:04,770 –> 00:25:08,400
mirror if you’re in an office

559
00:25:05,970 –> 00:25:10,500
environment for example there’s just

560
00:25:08,400 –> 00:25:12,000
touching base with people and getting a

561
00:25:10,500 –> 00:25:14,220
human connection going and sort of

562
00:25:12,000 –> 00:25:17,370
catching the vibe of what’s happening in

563
00:25:14,220 –> 00:25:20,460
the office before trying to catch up so

564
00:25:17,370 –> 00:25:22,470
sort of getting the human side of things

565
00:25:20,460 –> 00:25:25,320
getting back in sync with people who

566
00:25:22,470 –> 00:25:27,090
haven’t seen you for a while and then

567
00:25:25,320 –> 00:25:29,820
easing yourself back in but making sure

568
00:25:27,090 –> 00:25:31,590
to have a kind of a gentle schedule for

569
00:25:29,820 –> 00:25:33,030
the first few days I think scheduling

570
00:25:31,590 –> 00:25:34,410
the way you manage your time in the

571
00:25:33,030 –> 00:25:36,870
first few days I know you block out time

572
00:25:34,410 –> 00:25:38,940
and make sure that nobody puts in for

573
00:25:36,870 –> 00:25:40,500
our meetings on that first day I think

574
00:25:38,940 –> 00:25:42,930
those are those are some practical ways

575
00:25:40,500 –> 00:25:44,610
to ease yourself in yeah I do it a

576
00:25:42,930 –> 00:25:47,850
little bit different I have actually a

577
00:25:44,610 –> 00:25:51,180
pretty consistent method that I tack all

578
00:25:47,850 –> 00:25:53,370
this stuff with I put into my calendar

579
00:25:51,180 –> 00:25:55,770
that’s that people can book meetings

580
00:25:53,370 –> 00:25:57,480
against me with when I’m planning to be

581
00:25:55,770 –> 00:25:59,310
back on that first day so if I’m coming

582
00:25:57,480 –> 00:26:02,040
back on a Monday that I’ll be back in

583
00:25:59,310 –> 00:26:04,620
the office at say eight o’clock and then

584
00:26:02,040 –> 00:26:08,040
I make a point to be in the office by

585
00:26:04,620 –> 00:26:12,360
7:30 I take that half hour as triage

586
00:26:08,040 –> 00:26:15,300
time because I have yet to find that I

587
00:26:12,360 –> 00:26:17,550
cannot triage everything that happens

588
00:26:15,300 –> 00:26:19,650
during the course of a week within a

589
00:26:17,550 –> 00:26:21,180
half hour I mean that’s all the time it

590
00:26:19,650 –> 00:26:24,000
really takes and when I say triage I

591
00:26:21,180 –> 00:26:25,920
don’t mean do that’s a big mistake that

592
00:26:24,000 –> 00:26:28,980
people make is they start going through

593
00:26:25,920 –> 00:26:31,920
that firehose of emails they’ve gone and

594
00:26:28,980 –> 00:26:33,570
they try to tackle each of those emails

595
00:26:31,920 –> 00:26:37,320
and start to address those problems you

596
00:26:33,570 –> 00:26:39,930
can’t do that triaging is literally

597
00:26:37,320 –> 00:26:42,510
what’s the most critical that I need to

598
00:26:39,930 –> 00:26:43,660
address when the triage is done what’s

599
00:26:42,510 –> 00:26:45,640
second what’s

600
00:26:43,660 –> 00:26:47,850
what are things that you know the

601
00:26:45,640 –> 00:26:49,900
classic models have delegate defer

602
00:26:47,850 –> 00:26:53,620
destroy that type of thing

603
00:26:49,900 –> 00:26:55,420
there’s tons of methods around it and I

604
00:26:53,620 –> 00:26:57,400
could go on for hours on different ways

605
00:26:55,420 –> 00:27:00,430
to approach this triage the key thing is

606
00:26:57,400 –> 00:27:02,290
to designate that time period and make

607
00:27:00,430 –> 00:27:05,290
sure that you don’t try to do anything

608
00:27:02,290 –> 00:27:07,750
else until that’s done because what

609
00:27:05,290 –> 00:27:10,210
almost always happens is if you start

610
00:27:07,750 –> 00:27:12,250
doing things you will run into something

611
00:27:10,210 –> 00:27:14,200
far more important that you did not

612
00:27:12,250 –> 00:27:16,930
triage for and now all the sudden

613
00:27:14,200 –> 00:27:18,580
everything goes off the rails so that’s

614
00:27:16,930 –> 00:27:20,650
how I tackle it you know there’s an

615
00:27:18,580 –> 00:27:25,060
interesting thing interesting thing you

616
00:27:20,650 –> 00:27:29,590
mentioned four so so for me there is two

617
00:27:25,060 –> 00:27:33,310
things on on anything that is two days

618
00:27:29,590 –> 00:27:36,130
or more as a travel or take out of the

619
00:27:33,310 –> 00:27:38,830
oftens time I tend to block the morning

620
00:27:36,130 –> 00:27:43,390
the day I come back to the office so for

621
00:27:38,830 –> 00:27:45,310
example so I block the whole morning all

622
00:27:43,390 –> 00:27:48,490
the time before lunch because that will

623
00:27:45,310 –> 00:27:50,860
give me time enough time to take care of

624
00:27:48,490 –> 00:27:53,650
that triage take care of look at what

625
00:27:50,860 –> 00:27:56,170
stuff without feeling you know anybody

626
00:27:53,650 –> 00:28:00,190
breathing on on the back of my neck and

627
00:27:56,170 –> 00:28:05,040
at that time is key and is important for

628
00:28:00,190 –> 00:28:10,060
me for the triage I you know years ago

629
00:28:05,040 –> 00:28:13,540
when I think the triage works in the

630
00:28:10,060 –> 00:28:17,110
same way as when you are doing weekly

631
00:28:13,540 –> 00:28:19,330
review in the way that when you’re doing

632
00:28:17,110 –> 00:28:21,340
weekly review inevitable there is a

633
00:28:19,330 –> 00:28:25,090
stuff that come to your mind come to

634
00:28:21,340 –> 00:28:27,910
your attention you say I need to fill in

635
00:28:25,090 –> 00:28:30,130
the blank and a lot of people make the

636
00:28:27,910 –> 00:28:32,590
mistake to then stop the what they are

637
00:28:30,130 –> 00:28:34,600
doing to go and do that I understand

638
00:28:32,590 –> 00:28:36,790
there are a few amount of things that

639
00:28:34,600 –> 00:28:39,670
require that immediacy but most of the

640
00:28:36,790 –> 00:28:41,860
time it doesn’t and I’ve been advising

641
00:28:39,670 –> 00:28:44,650
people for a year okay before you start

642
00:28:41,860 –> 00:28:48,070
your with you review grab a piece of

643
00:28:44,650 –> 00:28:49,720
paper and mark it in a certain way it

644
00:28:48,070 –> 00:28:52,720
doesn’t matter what you put on top I put

645
00:28:49,720 –> 00:28:55,150
to do as soon as this is done and any of

646
00:28:52,720 –> 00:28:57,400
these things that come that are I need

647
00:28:55,150 –> 00:29:00,460
to you know now

648
00:28:57,400 –> 00:29:02,680
instead of a stop what I’m doing instead

649
00:29:00,460 –> 00:29:08,710
of a stop the triage or instead of a

650
00:29:02,680 –> 00:29:11,170
stop the the weekly review write down

651
00:29:08,710 –> 00:29:14,290
what it is right there on that page and

652
00:29:11,170 –> 00:29:17,290
continue and finish the process because

653
00:29:14,290 –> 00:29:19,210
if you do that what’s going to happen is

654
00:29:17,290 –> 00:29:20,620
as soon as you are done first you’re not

655
00:29:19,210 –> 00:29:22,720
losing your train of thought and

656
00:29:20,620 –> 00:29:24,730
therefore your pudding but second you

657
00:29:22,720 –> 00:29:27,910
know that there is a place where you are

658
00:29:24,730 –> 00:29:29,590
going to go immediately after to go and

659
00:29:27,910 –> 00:29:31,930
take care of all those things I wanted

660
00:29:29,590 –> 00:29:35,890
to offer just two strategies that I use

661
00:29:31,930 –> 00:29:37,660
and I feel like one is kind of given

662
00:29:35,890 –> 00:29:40,390
away the goose here but I don’t think it

663
00:29:37,660 –> 00:29:42,310
really hurts me because I’m not gonna

664
00:29:40,390 –> 00:29:48,040
answer anybody anyway but here goes the

665
00:29:42,310 –> 00:29:50,140
thing hi i won re-engage with my routine

666
00:29:48,040 –> 00:29:51,940
so I have I have very strict routines

667
00:29:50,140 –> 00:29:55,810
that I’ve designed for myself throughout

668
00:29:51,940 –> 00:29:57,460
the day and this goes back to thought

669
00:29:55,810 –> 00:30:00,520
that I’ve had for a long time and I’ve

670
00:29:57,460 –> 00:30:02,320
you know published episodes on prod pod

671
00:30:00,520 –> 00:30:05,440
about this which is the idea of a day

672
00:30:02,320 –> 00:30:07,720
reset and so I’ve naturally created

673
00:30:05,440 –> 00:30:11,470
these anchors in my day so that I’m able

674
00:30:07,720 –> 00:30:13,420
to reset my day at natural points so

675
00:30:11,470 –> 00:30:16,540
that if the day is going wrong I can

676
00:30:13,420 –> 00:30:19,570
correct course very easily so this idea

677
00:30:16,540 –> 00:30:21,460
of a strong routine you don’t have to do

678
00:30:19,570 –> 00:30:23,950
it every day necessarily although I

679
00:30:21,460 –> 00:30:27,100
recommend it because then it creates the

680
00:30:23,950 –> 00:30:28,930
set of habits necessary to productively

681
00:30:27,100 –> 00:30:31,480
manage your day but this this helps

682
00:30:28,930 –> 00:30:34,450
really when you are getting back to work

683
00:30:31,480 –> 00:30:36,910
which is to have a routine set up which

684
00:30:34,450 –> 00:30:39,340
is what does my ideal day look like and

685
00:30:36,910 –> 00:30:40,840
this is not about best practice it’s not

686
00:30:39,340 –> 00:30:43,260
about anything like that it’s just what

687
00:30:40,840 –> 00:30:46,180
would the ideal day look like and try to

688
00:30:43,260 –> 00:30:49,600
you know reach yourself toward you know

689
00:30:46,180 –> 00:30:52,120
stretch toward that ideal and that

690
00:30:49,600 –> 00:30:54,790
really helps me understand that you know

691
00:30:52,120 –> 00:30:56,650
while I was away my routine was most

692
00:30:54,790 –> 00:30:59,710
likely different and I do try to keep my

693
00:30:56,650 –> 00:31:02,110
routine as close when I’m away too as

694
00:30:59,710 –> 00:31:04,630
when I return it’s it’s just very

695
00:31:02,110 –> 00:31:06,100
difficult for me to switch gears and I

696
00:31:04,630 –> 00:31:07,930
believe that’s the case for most people

697
00:31:06,100 –> 00:31:09,220
so I try to get up at the same time I

698
00:31:07,930 –> 00:31:10,990
know that people when they’re away from

699
00:31:09,220 –> 00:31:13,179
work even on weekends

700
00:31:10,990 –> 00:31:15,730
people attempt to sleep in or whatever

701
00:31:13,179 –> 00:31:17,920
it might be I don’t do that I like this

702
00:31:15,730 –> 00:31:20,110
consistency of getting up every day at

703
00:31:17,920 –> 00:31:21,550
the same time I like the idea of going

704
00:31:20,110 –> 00:31:24,070
to bed roughly around the same time

705
00:31:21,550 –> 00:31:26,470
every day I like to do the same things

706
00:31:24,070 –> 00:31:28,840
like eating at the same times of the day

707
00:31:26,470 –> 00:31:30,070
it just is less disruptive to my overall

708
00:31:28,840 –> 00:31:31,809
system and that’s not always the case

709
00:31:30,070 –> 00:31:33,400
especially if we’re you know we’ve been

710
00:31:31,809 –> 00:31:35,170
talking about vacation pretty heavily

711
00:31:33,400 –> 00:31:38,050
but that’s not necessarily the case you

712
00:31:35,170 –> 00:31:40,929
could be just you know away from from

713
00:31:38,050 –> 00:31:43,030
work for a work trip you know I work I

714
00:31:40,929 –> 00:31:45,850
travel quite a bit for work and so you

715
00:31:43,030 –> 00:31:47,890
know I try to keep my on travel work

716
00:31:45,850 –> 00:31:50,020
schedule very close to that and that

717
00:31:47,890 –> 00:31:51,970
really helps me I feel like the second

718
00:31:50,020 –> 00:31:54,970
is that if I do take an extended time

719
00:31:51,970 –> 00:31:58,030
away from work I always buffer usually

720
00:31:54,970 –> 00:32:01,660
an extra day before I leave and about

721
00:31:58,030 –> 00:32:03,910
two days after I get back from from

722
00:32:01,660 –> 00:32:05,920
being on vacation so on my calendar and

723
00:32:03,910 –> 00:32:06,870
as far as my clients and everyone else

724
00:32:05,920 –> 00:32:10,420
is concerned

725
00:32:06,870 –> 00:32:12,940
other than my assistant everyone thinks

726
00:32:10,420 –> 00:32:15,370
that I’m so away I don’t I don’t appear

727
00:32:12,940 –> 00:32:17,230
on anyone’s calendar for those that day

728
00:32:15,370 –> 00:32:19,630
before and those two days afterward and

729
00:32:17,230 –> 00:32:21,880
like I said this is kind of revealing

730
00:32:19,630 –> 00:32:25,990
one of my little secrets here but but

731
00:32:21,880 –> 00:32:28,240
don’t tell anybody but the idea here is

732
00:32:25,990 –> 00:32:31,059
that in that timeframe it allows me to

733
00:32:28,240 –> 00:32:33,370
catch up it allows me to clean up it

734
00:32:31,059 –> 00:32:36,370
allows me to do that planning and and

735
00:32:33,370 –> 00:32:38,890
that you know restoration of my world

736
00:32:36,370 –> 00:32:40,660
you know I can I can respond to emails

737
00:32:38,890 –> 00:32:42,850
and then schedule those to go out for

738
00:32:40,660 –> 00:32:46,570
when I’m officially back and that really

739
00:32:42,850 –> 00:32:48,910
helps me be in control when I do come

740
00:32:46,570 –> 00:32:51,100
back so I can have a meeting as Frances

741
00:32:48,910 –> 00:32:53,559
said as soon as I getting back to work but

742
00:32:51,100 –> 00:32:55,360
I’m really I’m already caught up in a

743
00:32:53,559 –> 00:32:56,950
lot of ways that’s a great that’s a

744
00:32:55,360 –> 00:32:59,080
great one so you’re hiding you’re in the

745
00:32:56,950 –> 00:33:04,929
office but you’re hiding from all of the

746
00:32:59,080 –> 00:33:08,230
possible disruptors correct I also

747
00:33:04,929 –> 00:33:10,300
recommend that what well if you can get

748
00:33:08,230 –> 00:33:12,280
to hide there’s a great great strategy

749
00:33:10,300 –> 00:33:14,800
and while you’re hiding or while someone

750
00:33:12,280 –> 00:33:16,450
is hiding there of course is an email

751
00:33:14,800 –> 00:33:19,150
backlog if they haven’t been checking

752
00:33:16,450 –> 00:33:20,830
and working on email during vacation for

753
00:33:19,150 –> 00:33:23,020
for whatever reason there will be a

754
00:33:20,830 –> 00:33:24,370
backup a backlog it could be two weeks

755
00:33:23,020 –> 00:33:25,659
three weeks

756
00:33:24,370 –> 00:33:28,179
if you’re in Europe you get like six

757
00:33:25,659 –> 00:33:31,260
weeks of vacation see you get six weeks

758
00:33:28,179 –> 00:33:33,940
a backlog on email so there’s there’s a

759
00:33:31,260 –> 00:33:37,299
focused activity that is has to be

760
00:33:33,940 –> 00:33:40,090
scheduled into the first day two or

761
00:33:37,299 –> 00:33:42,370
three days back on the job which is to

762
00:33:40,090 –> 00:33:44,520
go through all of email and get back to

763
00:33:42,370 –> 00:33:47,950
zero get back get the inbox back to zero

764
00:33:44,520 –> 00:33:50,590
to dispense with all of the tasks that

765
00:33:47,950 –> 00:33:52,710
are lying in wait and all those

766
00:33:50,590 –> 00:33:55,679
different emails and that activity is

767
00:33:52,710 –> 00:33:58,149
heavy-lifting if it’s been a long time

768
00:33:55,679 –> 00:34:00,429
that is an absolute requirement I think

769
00:33:58,149 –> 00:34:03,720
to do a version of what you said lock

770
00:34:00,429 –> 00:34:05,880
the door make sure to know there are no

771
00:34:03,720 –> 00:34:08,830
interruptions

772
00:34:05,880 –> 00:34:13,540
do you know to put all the blocking

773
00:34:08,830 –> 00:34:15,429
software on your on your web browser so

774
00:34:13,540 –> 00:34:18,669
that you’re not distracted by social

775
00:34:15,429 –> 00:34:21,310
media and really going to the flow State

776
00:34:18,669 –> 00:34:23,320
maybe several several episodes of the

777
00:34:21,310 –> 00:34:27,040
flow State so that by the end of it you

778
00:34:23,320 –> 00:34:29,050
can emerge with your email completed

779
00:34:27,040 –> 00:34:30,730
with that job because that job as far as

780
00:34:29,050 –> 00:34:33,490
I’m concerned is one that has to get

781
00:34:30,730 –> 00:34:34,869
done now as soon as you get Matt’s not

782
00:34:33,490 –> 00:34:37,270
before doing the other things that I

783
00:34:34,869 –> 00:34:38,560
mentioned but before engaging with the

784
00:34:37,270 –> 00:34:39,760
rest of the world that’s one that most

785
00:34:38,560 –> 00:34:42,250
people have to get there in an office

786
00:34:39,760 –> 00:34:43,929
environment yeah and I know that you

787
00:34:42,250 –> 00:34:46,060
focused on email but this is actually

788
00:34:43,929 –> 00:34:48,820
for me mostly about calendaring you know

789
00:34:46,060 –> 00:34:51,369
I have a very hectic day time calendars

790
00:34:48,820 –> 00:34:53,020
you know you know from from 8 to about 4

791
00:34:51,369 –> 00:34:55,540
o’clock and sometimes later than that on

792
00:34:53,020 –> 00:34:59,020
the day it’s back to back to back for me

793
00:34:55,540 –> 00:35:00,760
or I’m in a workshop or seminar in front

794
00:34:59,020 –> 00:35:02,560
of people so there’s not much I can do

795
00:35:00,760 –> 00:35:03,849
in terms of responding to people during

796
00:35:02,560 –> 00:35:05,170
that time frame you know it’s not like I

797
00:35:03,849 –> 00:35:07,030
can be in a training and say oh I’ll

798
00:35:05,170 –> 00:35:10,030
take that phone call or I’ll respond to

799
00:35:07,030 –> 00:35:12,970
that email now that just came in and so

800
00:35:10,030 –> 00:35:15,460
I have to really be aware that when I

801
00:35:12,970 –> 00:35:19,330
come back from time away from work

802
00:35:15,460 –> 00:35:22,210
there may be a backlog that I didn’t

803
00:35:19,330 –> 00:35:24,220
anticipate or and and for listeners that

804
00:35:22,210 –> 00:35:27,250
you didn’t anticipate and so you have to

805
00:35:24,220 –> 00:35:29,619
know your work world and your and and

806
00:35:27,250 –> 00:35:30,940
kind of the situations that arise and

807
00:35:29,619 –> 00:35:33,339
that’s why I have those two days

808
00:35:30,940 –> 00:35:35,080
buffered because it may be that I need

809
00:35:33,339 –> 00:35:36,880
to restructure my calendar it may it may

810
00:35:35,080 –> 00:35:38,190
not be a lot of email although usually

811
00:35:36,880 –> 00:35:40,809
it’s a lot of email but

812
00:35:38,190 –> 00:35:42,970
many times it’s because I have to now

813
00:35:40,809 –> 00:35:45,010
reschedule a bunch of things that are

814
00:35:42,970 –> 00:35:47,770
happening to in three days after I get

815
00:35:45,010 –> 00:35:49,329
back that now just it’s not it’s not

816
00:35:47,770 –> 00:35:51,220
reasonable that those things can happen

817
00:35:49,329 –> 00:35:53,109
because I may have projects that I need

818
00:35:51,220 –> 00:35:55,660
to work on over the next several days

819
00:35:53,109 –> 00:35:58,299
for something more something of higher

820
00:35:55,660 –> 00:36:01,180
priority so you know don’t think that

821
00:35:58,299 –> 00:36:03,720
it’s just clearing up email it’s all of

822
00:36:01,180 –> 00:36:06,130
those things that are downstream

823
00:36:03,720 –> 00:36:08,829
collateral damage if you want to call it

824
00:36:06,130 –> 00:36:11,559
that of of having been away from from

825
00:36:08,829 –> 00:36:14,500
work I I want in the time that we have

826
00:36:11,559 –> 00:36:16,540
left for us to just cover some of the

827
00:36:14,500 –> 00:36:19,299
roadblocks some of the challenges that

828
00:36:16,540 –> 00:36:23,319
one faces when they are getting back to

829
00:36:19,299 –> 00:36:26,040
work and what may be some quick tips you

830
00:36:23,319 –> 00:36:31,059
have regarding those things if any

831
00:36:26,040 –> 00:36:34,690
biggest roadblocks interruptions second

832
00:36:31,059 –> 00:36:37,210
one would be conversations that start to

833
00:36:34,690 –> 00:36:41,559
develop before triage is done

834
00:36:37,210 –> 00:36:43,359
third shifting priorities you always

835
00:36:41,559 –> 00:36:44,890
know that the the goalposts and have a

836
00:36:43,359 –> 00:36:46,930
tendency to move while you’re out on

837
00:36:44,890 –> 00:36:52,740
vacation or you’re away from the office

838
00:36:46,930 –> 00:36:55,240
so you have so you have to to reset that

839
00:36:52,740 –> 00:36:58,510
let’s see what else the other and

840
00:36:55,240 –> 00:37:02,740
probably the most interesting one that I

841
00:36:58,510 –> 00:37:04,510
run into most frequently his new things

842
00:37:02,740 –> 00:37:05,859
that have arisen not things that you

843
00:37:04,510 –> 00:37:07,359
were expecting to deal with but new

844
00:37:05,859 –> 00:37:09,309
initiatives that all of a sudden take

845
00:37:07,359 –> 00:37:12,160
high priority over everything else and

846
00:37:09,309 –> 00:37:14,109
that requires a new level set so it’s

847
00:37:12,160 –> 00:37:16,059
that changing dynamic you know that

848
00:37:14,109 –> 00:37:18,160
what’s the phrase that all great plans

849
00:37:16,059 –> 00:37:21,790
of mice and men often go awry well

850
00:37:18,160 –> 00:37:24,460
that’s basically it so creating plans

851
00:37:21,790 –> 00:37:26,290
that are unadaptable to new situations

852
00:37:24,460 –> 00:37:27,099
and that’s not even a word but you know

853
00:37:26,290 –> 00:37:30,460
what I mean

854
00:37:27,099 –> 00:37:35,859
you have to build the Flex you made a

855
00:37:30,460 –> 00:37:39,150
good point the biggest problem the

856
00:37:35,859 –> 00:37:42,670
biggest problem you are going to find is

857
00:37:39,150 –> 00:37:45,940
what you planned for that week after on

858
00:37:42,670 –> 00:37:48,730
the sense of are you making sure that

859
00:37:45,940 –> 00:37:51,230
you are making a buffer for what is

860
00:37:48,730 –> 00:37:54,290
impossible to plan if you

861
00:37:51,230 –> 00:37:56,660
cannot if you make the plan for the week

862
00:37:54,290 –> 00:37:59,780
after the week you are back to work you

863
00:37:56,660 –> 00:38:03,470
know to have now booked solid

864
00:37:59,780 –> 00:38:06,020
well are you living above her – what can

865
00:38:03,470 –> 00:38:09,200
happen on the time you were out that now

866
00:38:06,020 –> 00:38:11,450
need to take precedence or it need to be

867
00:38:09,200 –> 00:38:13,160
reorganized and I think that’s where

868
00:38:11,450 –> 00:38:15,910
those buffer times and that buffer

869
00:38:13,160 –> 00:38:19,310
strategy it’s really really useful I

870
00:38:15,910 –> 00:38:21,470
think one of the the other challenges is

871
00:38:19,310 –> 00:38:23,810
away from the tasks and the work they’re

872
00:38:21,470 –> 00:38:27,530
sort of an emotional environment that

873
00:38:23,810 –> 00:38:28,490
you’re walking back into that could be

874
00:38:27,530 –> 00:38:31,130
very different from the one that you

875
00:38:28,490 –> 00:38:33,020
left and there’s probably a number of

876
00:38:31,130 –> 00:38:35,750
events that have happened that you don’t

877
00:38:33,020 –> 00:38:37,760
know about especially if it’s something

878
00:38:35,750 –> 00:38:39,680
in the project that you’re working on so

879
00:38:37,760 –> 00:38:41,570
there’s some there’s some not just

880
00:38:39,680 –> 00:38:44,090
catching up in terms of information but

881
00:38:41,570 –> 00:38:46,730
there is sort of some listening to due

882
00:38:44,090 –> 00:38:50,030
to what they’re saying what they’re not

883
00:38:46,730 –> 00:38:51,740
seeing what the mood is like what in

884
00:38:50,030 –> 00:38:53,930
there might be some recapping of of

885
00:38:51,740 –> 00:38:56,030
critical events that took place while

886
00:38:53,930 –> 00:39:01,250
you were gone you’ve got a little time

887
00:38:56,030 –> 00:39:02,900
to allow other people experience to

888
00:39:01,250 –> 00:39:06,140
become your experience as well so like

889
00:39:02,900 –> 00:39:07,790
you can get back into working alongside

890
00:39:06,140 –> 00:39:09,830
them in an effective way

891
00:39:07,790 –> 00:39:12,850
sorry that’s called it listening on

892
00:39:09,830 –> 00:39:14,990
multiple levels to see what you missed

893
00:39:12,850 –> 00:39:17,330
well that’s all the time we have today

894
00:39:14,990 –> 00:39:19,160
for discussing back to work this has

895
00:39:17,330 –> 00:39:21,140
been an illuminating discussion on the

896
00:39:19,160 –> 00:39:22,850
complex topic of getting back to work

897
00:39:21,140 –> 00:39:25,160
when you’re away from work whether it’s

898
00:39:22,850 –> 00:39:26,930
a short period of time or longer and we

899
00:39:25,160 –> 00:39:28,970
hope you’ve learned a bit more about how

900
00:39:26,930 –> 00:39:31,280
to order and simplify getting back to

901
00:39:28,970 –> 00:39:33,500
work but if you’re still questioning how

902
00:39:31,280 –> 00:39:35,990
to do so let us know you can tweet at us

903
00:39:33,500 –> 00:39:38,270
you can contact us or ask a question in

904
00:39:35,990 –> 00:39:40,609
the comments of this episode if you head

905
00:39:38,270 –> 00:39:43,400
over to productivity cast net forward

906
00:39:40,609 –> 00:39:45,619
slash 0 to 7 which is the episode number

907
00:39:43,400 –> 00:39:47,720
and you can find our Twitter profiles

908
00:39:45,619 –> 00:39:50,420
there on the about page and all that fun

909
00:39:47,720 –> 00:39:52,490
stuff this is also where you can find

910
00:39:50,420 –> 00:39:54,470
the show notes so links to anything we

911
00:39:52,490 –> 00:39:56,780
discussed or easily jump to from there

912
00:39:54,470 –> 00:39:58,880
you can learn how to subscribe there on

913
00:39:56,780 –> 00:40:01,160
the podcast website thanks to the

914
00:39:58,880 –> 00:40:03,050
productivity cast team gusto Frances and

915
00:40:01,160 –> 00:40:04,610
art for joining me here each and every

916
00:40:03,050 –> 00:40:07,550
week to make this productivity

917
00:40:04,610 –> 00:40:09,500
Podcast happen and if you could please

918
00:40:07,550 –> 00:40:11,630
browse over to itunes google play or

919
00:40:09,500 –> 00:40:14,540
stitcher to give us a rating or review

920
00:40:11,630 –> 00:40:16,250
your kudos fuel our podcasting

921
00:40:14,540 –> 00:40:18,110
productivity and they also help us grow

922
00:40:16,250 –> 00:40:19,580
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923
00:40:18,110 –> 00:40:21,890
community so thank you for listening

924
00:40:19,580 –> 00:40:23,900
thank you for your emails and commons

925
00:40:21,890 –> 00:40:26,270
and ratings and being a part of the

926
00:40:23,900 –> 00:40:28,100
productivity cast community that brings

927
00:40:26,270 –> 00:40:29,510
us to the close out of this episode of

928
00:40:28,100 –> 00:40:31,850
productivity cast the weekly show about

929
00:40:29,510 –> 00:40:32,870
all things personal productivity here’s

930
00:40:31,850 –> 00:40:34,730
to your productive life

931
00:40:32,870 –> 00:40:36,770
take care that’s it for this

932
00:40:34,730 –> 00:40:39,440
productivity cast the weekly show about

933
00:40:36,770 –> 00:40:41,480
all things productivity with your hosts

934
00:40:39,440 –> 00:40:45,670
ray Sidney Smith and augusto pan out

935
00:40:41,480 –> 00:40:45,670
with Francis Wade and art gala wicks