Plan and reflect together
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You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Hey, listeners. I am all about simple beauty routines. That's why I love Merit. Their products make looking put together effortless. For example, there's Flush Balm, which is a sheer, buildable cream blush that blends in seamlessly for a healthy, natural glow. And let's not forget The Minimalist, which is a two-in-one foundation and concealer that's perfect for those days when you need quick, natural coverage.

So if you're looking to streamline your beauty routine too, head to MeritBeauty.com. You'll get their signature makeup bag free with your first order. Simplify your routine and feel beautiful with Merit. Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is to plan and reflect at about the same time.

Just as it's important to figure out how you'd like to spend your time, reflecting on where the time really went can make better planning choices possible in the future. Long-time listeners know that I think everyone should have a designated weekly planning time. I like the idea of planning on Fridays for the upcoming week. But the key is that you have some regular time where you look forward, figure out your priorities, figure out the logistics,

and get clear on what you need and want to do. It's fine to just do this looking forward, but if you want to get the most out of your planning sessions, it might help to take just two minutes or so to look back on the previous week. Look at your priority list. Did everything happen? If so, awesome. If not, why not? Was the list too ambitious? Was life too unpredictable? Did you decide you didn't want to do something or it wasn't the best use of your time?

Did something take a lot longer than you expected? Or perhaps less time than you expected? There are a few upsides to looking back. One is that if something didn't happen, you can make a choice about whether to assign it to the next week. Or maybe you can make it happen. Or maybe you can make it happen in the next 30 minutes or so if you like. It's a reminder of what you thought was important. And so reflection becomes a moment to choose whether to continue with that thought

or change it. The second upside, though, is just more practice at figuring out how long things take. Time estimation is hard. It is hard to know exactly what will fit in a week. But if you look back and see what did fit in a week, and you do this again and again, you will get a better sense of what can fit in a week in the future. I know that for me, this has been a real upside of a dedicated weekly planning practice for many decades now.

I look back on what I did and that lets me know what I can do. I tend to make more restrained choices for the upcoming week than I might have because I know that stuff can come up. Stuff always comes up. When I'm more careful about assigning myself work for the week, that means I probably will get everything crossed off by the end of the week. I have a long working list of other priorities, so I can always go pull something from that if I have extra time.

But long-term reflecting and planning means that the amount of stuff I plan to do tends to match the amount of time I have. But long-term reflecting and planning means that the amount of stuff I plan to do tends to match the amount of time I have. Not always, but mostly. You can do this for shorter planning periods too. I tend to create my to-do list for the next day at the end of each workday. This also gives me a chance to look over the list for the day that just ended. Did I get through everything?

Did I have a lot of extra time or was I perhaps racing to get through things? This helps me make rational choices for the next day. And I think it can help you make good choices for your to-do list too. Sometimes people find planning and creating priority lists to be a source of stress because they don't get through everything and that makes them feel behind. Reflection helps build in a check on this. You know that last week and the week before,

And the week before, there was a certain amount of space. Most likely, that will be the case for the next week too. Planning and reflection go hand in hand. So take just a moment to reflect and your planning will be a lot more effective. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's to making the most of our time.

Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hey, listeners.

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Hey listeners, you know I can't be bothered with lengthy beauty routines. Who has time for that? That's why I am so glad I discovered Merit. Merit is all about simplicity, high-performing products, and enhancing your natural beauty. If you're like me and prefer a less-is-more approach, you'll love that Merit can help you look put together in five minutes or less. My favorite product has to be The Minimalist.

It's a two-in-one foundation and concealer that gives me smooth, even coverage with zero fuss. I also like the flush balm for cheeks. My shade is Archival, and it gives me that healthy, natural flush of color that blends in beautifully and makes me look like I spent more time on my makeup than I actually did. Ready to simplify your routine and make mornings a breeze?

head to MeritBeauty.com and get their signature makeup bag free with your first order. For clean, effortless, high-performing makeup, head to MeritBeauty.com.