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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of IHeart Radio.

Good morning.

This is Laura.

Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

Today's tip is to write down the thoughts you have during deep work blocks,

so you can get them out of your head and get back to work.

Today's tip comes from Eric Fisher, host of the long-running podcast Beyond the To-do list.

Eric was recently a guest on this show.

Eric noted how easy it is to be perpetually distracted,

with new information coming at us through our many screens,

and with thoughts about various topics popping into our minds.

For instance, maybe you've been absorbed in a spreadsheet of sales data

until you realize you need to reschedule a meeting that falls on Jan Kapoor.

Or you have an idea for a marketing strategy for next season.

Or you remember it's your college roommate's birthday.

Or that you forgot to pick up the dry cleaning.

You know you are supposed to be working on the sales data, but what do you do with the unrelated

thoughts during what's supposed to be focused work time? Eric advised taking what he called a

meditational approach. When you are meditating, you might acknowledge a thought

you are having, and then let it pass. Likewise, Eric advises if you were in the middle of working

on something and you have an unrelated thought, acknowledge the thought by writing it down,

...