1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to recast an unpleasant task. If you 4 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: can figure out something good that you are getting out 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: of something you have to do, you will feel far 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: better about it and maybe won't even find it so 7 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: unpleasant after all. So I recently went through the annual 8 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: ritual of sending all my text information to my accountant. 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: While the usual deadline is spring, we always have some 10 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: forms that come late, so we file an extension to 11 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: the fall. Since I am recording this in late, that 12 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: means I was dealing with my finances from I log 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: all my income as it comes in, but I use 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: a credit card for all my business expenses. Then when 15 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: it's time to do my taxes, I look at the 16 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: statements to add up allowed deductions. I am sure there 17 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: is a more efficient system, but for my one person business, 18 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: this has mostly worked. That said, I never enjoy going 19 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: through all my credit card receipts from twenty two to 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: ten months prior. I put this off every year, and 21 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: I often have to promise myself vast rewards for doing it. 22 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: But then when I was procrastinating and bemoaning this issue, 23 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: I had a revelation. I actually had a choice in 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: the matter. I could simply report my income. I didn't 25 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: have to add up my expenses. I just wouldn't be 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: able to detect them. Then I could theoretically do my 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: taxes in five seconds. Of course, that would be stu 28 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: pid because I would miss out on many deductions and 29 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: thus pay far more in taxes than I needed to. 30 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: But this mindset shift changed everything. When I recast the 31 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: task of adding up my expenses as doing an optional 32 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: activity that was earning me a very high per hour rate, 33 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: I felt different about the whole thing. I was kind 34 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: of excited. This was good money. The task was the same, 35 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: but doing it felt far more rewarding. In any case, 36 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: if you have some sort of unpleasant task you are facing, 37 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: see if you can recast it as something more pleasant. 38 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: If you are stuck on a call you do not 39 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: wish to be stuck on, maybe you can go for 40 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: a walk outside while you're listening. If you are waiting somewhere, 41 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: make sure you have a good book, hopefully one that's 42 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: good enough that you don't mind the delay. Save a 43 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: favorite podcast or audiobook for a long drive. Now. Of course, 44 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to find 45 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: the recasting angle. Maybe a certain aunt expects everyone's attendance 46 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: at a holiday dinner where the food is let's just say, challenging. 47 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: Rather than focus on the unpleasant food, or even more 48 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: challenge in getting your kids not to complain about the 49 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: unpleasant food, you can recast this task as a chance 50 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: to ask three older relatives about their favorite stories from childhood. 51 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: The event is a success when you get those stories. 52 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: You can always take your part of the clan out 53 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: for pizza afterwards or even before. While unpleasant tasks are 54 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: part of life, suffering is optional. So think about how 55 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: you can recast an unpleasant task to be less unpleasant. 56 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: You will probably find yourself feeling a lot happier about 57 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: life in general. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 58 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 59 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 60 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 61 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at before Breakfast pod 62 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then Breakfast p o D. 63 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 64 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 65 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 66 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 67 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 68 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 69 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.