WEBVTT - Plan a mini-adventure today

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to plan a mini adventure into your day.

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<v Speaker 1>A few years ago, I came across a great quote

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<v Speaker 1>from Alan Burdick in his book Why Time Flies. He

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<v Speaker 1>wrote that very often when we remark how did time

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<v Speaker 1>fly by so quickly, what's actually meant is some version

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<v Speaker 1>of I don't remember where the time went. Memories and

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<v Speaker 1>time are closely related. When time isn't memorable, we don't

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<v Speaker 1>remember it. When time is memorable, we do remember it,

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<v Speaker 1>and that can make us feel like we have more time.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw this relationship in action when I had nine

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<v Speaker 1>busy people track their time for a day a few

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<v Speaker 1>years ago from my book Off the Clock. I asked

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<v Speaker 1>them questions about how they felt about their time. I

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<v Speaker 1>found that the people with the most abundant perspective on

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<v Speaker 1>time were highly likely to have done something very memorable.

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<v Speaker 1>On the March Monday, I had them track. One woman

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<v Speaker 1>went to sels the dancing lessons. Somebody else went to

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<v Speaker 1>a big band concert on a Monday night. Now this

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<v Speaker 1>might seem like a bit of a paradox that going

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<v Speaker 1>to a big band concert might make you feel like

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<v Speaker 1>you have more time. After all, buying tickets creates something

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<v Speaker 1>of an obligation. You have to go do something rather

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<v Speaker 1>than just crash on the couch. So this should make

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like you have less time, right, But time

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<v Speaker 1>isn't that simple. Time moves at different paces depending on

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<v Speaker 1>how we interact with it. Our perception of any given

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<v Speaker 1>length of time is shaped by how many memories we

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<v Speaker 1>have of that length of time. This is why the

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<v Speaker 1>first day of a vacation somewhere exotic seems very long.

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<v Speaker 1>Your brain has no idea what it needs to remember,

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<v Speaker 1>so it's remembering all of it. More memories means more time.

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<v Speaker 1>An evening spent on the couch isn't particularly memorable, so

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<v Speaker 1>we don't remember it. That time disappears as if it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't exist. Too many days like this, and whole years

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<v Speaker 1>can disappear into memory sinkholes. Times ceases to be a

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<v Speaker 1>rich tapestry and feels more like a slick linoleum floor. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not feasible to go to big band concerts every night,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is possible to do something to make each

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<v Speaker 1>day memorable, so we're more likely to remember it. In

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<v Speaker 1>the Jewish tradition, before the passover meal, the youngest person

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<v Speaker 1>at the table asks why is tonight different from all

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<v Speaker 1>other nights? For passover, the answer is clear, it's a

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<v Speaker 1>holiday and you're celebrating at defining event in extended family history.

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<v Speaker 1>But you can ask this question of any day. Why

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<v Speaker 1>is today different from all other days? Indeed, let's ask

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<v Speaker 1>this for today. How is today going to be different

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<v Speaker 1>from other days? Take some time to about this. What

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<v Speaker 1>many adventure could you plan into today so that today

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<v Speaker 1>stands out in memory. Your adventure doesn't have to be

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<v Speaker 1>expensive or time consuming. You might grab lunch with a

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<v Speaker 1>new group of people from work. You might take a

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<v Speaker 1>walk through a nearby park to perk yourself up. In

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<v Speaker 1>the afternoon. You might stop at an intriguing store you

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<v Speaker 1>see as you walk back to your apartment. You might

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<v Speaker 1>catch a weeknight movie or take your kids to a

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<v Speaker 1>playground after dinner. Rather than going through the usual march

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<v Speaker 1>of bath and bed. But plan in some little adventure,

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<v Speaker 1>and as you're having your adventure, pause to note that

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<v Speaker 1>it's happening. Really, take everything in. This will make your

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<v Speaker 1>memories deeper, and really, in the end, memories are all

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<v Speaker 1>we have. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 1>listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>Podcast at iHeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to staying in touch.