1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: tip is to ramp up the amount of time you 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: spend on something that matters to you. Add one more hour. 5 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: You will become better at just about anything by doing 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: more of it. Not perfect by any means, but better, 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: and in many cases the improvement won't be small. So 8 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: when I first started blogging many years ago, it wasn't 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: always easy to come up with an idea and write 10 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: a few hundred words about it in a short period 11 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: of time. But I kept doing it. I kept doing 12 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: a lot of it. Instead of doing the bare minimum 13 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: one to two posts per week that people suggested at 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: the time, I spent another hour or so per week 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: on it and posted about four times per week. Then, 16 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: at some point a few years later, I took a 17 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: gig that involved writing quick pieces about newsy topics. I 18 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: was amazed at how quickly I could crank out a 19 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: few hundred words. It seems that writing two hundred five 20 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: hundred word posts per year makes it easy to write 21 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: five hundred words on command. Seems straightforward, right, And yet 22 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: much of the time when we are trying to get 23 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: better at something, we overlook an obvious tactic, which is 24 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: to start doing more of whatever it is we are 25 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: aiming to improve at. Even just an extra hour a 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: week can make a big difference. If you are a 27 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: normal speed runner and you want to be a faster runner, 28 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: there are various types of speed work you can do, 29 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: and probably some strength training and such that will help. 30 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: But if you were running fifteen miles a week and 31 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: you work up to running twenty one miles a week 32 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: by running six more ten minute miles, so that's another hour, 33 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: you will probably start to get faster just through sheer repetition. 34 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: Your body will figure out ways to move more efficiently, 35 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: and your aerobic capacity will increase. I would like to 36 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: improve as a singer. I have thought about taking voice lessons, 37 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: and I know that would be helpful because I've done 38 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: it in the past. But I have also realized that 39 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: if I practice various vocal exercises and breathing exercises and 40 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: simple songs for another hour each week beyond my choier practices, 41 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: that will help too. I can add an extra hour 42 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: of practice. Whether I find the right teacher and work 43 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: that into my schedule or not. Now, none of this 44 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: is meant to diminish the importance of smart practice or 45 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: seeking the advice of professionals, But volume itself is a 46 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: pretty efficient teacher, and given that most of us aren't 47 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: devoting forty hours a week to our various hobbies or 48 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: even to the professional skills we'd like to improve at, 49 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: an extra hour can be a lot. One hour out 50 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: of the one hundred and sixty eight hours we all 51 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: have each week isn't much, But spending an extra hour 52 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: each week learning a foreign language would get you to 53 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: fluency much faster. Spending an hour a week speaking in 54 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: front of people would make you a good public speaker 55 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. Spending an extra hour practicing a musical instrument 56 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: would likewise make learning difficult music feel far more doable. 57 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: We often have grand designs for getting better at things, 58 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: and those are fine, but if it is taking a 59 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: long time to bring those plans to fruition, start with 60 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: just adding an hour to your schedule. See how it goes. 61 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: My guess is that the improvements won't be small, and 62 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: that just might motivate you to take the next step. 63 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and 64 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody, 65 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 66 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: your tips, your question or anything else. Just connect with 67 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 68 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You 69 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast 70 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out 71 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look 72 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 73 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 74 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.