1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: tip is that when you are trying out a new 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: habit or routine, develop a spirit of iteration. Don't assume 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: that if things go wrong you have to quit. It 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: may be that with a few tweaks or a new approach, 7 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: your routine might work after all. Today's tip comes from 8 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: Sarah Hartunger, who is the co host on my other podcast, 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: Best of Both Worlds. When Sarah was a guest on 10 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: a long form episode of this podcast, she suggested that 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: new habits should be approached with a spirit of iteration. 12 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: Don't assume that a habit will work perfectly the first 13 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: time around. You may need to experiment to find the 14 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: best way to make it work for you. So, for example, 15 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: maybe you have read somewhere that family meals are supposed 16 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: to be good for kids. So you decide your family 17 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: is going to have dinner together every night. You cook 18 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: a nice dinner on Monday, which your kids promptly reject 19 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: and demand grapes and string cheese. Instead, you could give 20 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: up and announce that family dinner isn't for you. But 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: maybe you can approach this situation with a spirit of iteration. 22 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: Maybe family dinner doesn't mean that everyone has the same dinner. 23 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: Maybe you serve everything family style and people choose what 24 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: they want and skip what they don't. Or maybe you 25 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: cook for you and your appreciative partner and the kid 26 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: with the adventurous taste buds and let the others eat 27 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: buttered noodles and sliced apples every night. Even if your 28 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: plates look different, you are still eating together. Or you 29 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: can adopt my mantra that three times a week is 30 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: a habit. You eat together three times a week, understanding 31 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: that family meals don't always have to be dinner. You 32 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: can have pizza on Friday night, which everyone likes, plus 33 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: pancakes Sunday morning, and dinner Wednesday night out at that 34 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: restaurant that has the buffet everyone can tolerate. You are 35 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: still eating together, and maybe this routine can work for 36 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: you after all. Of course, you may discover some habits 37 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: don't actually work in real life, and that's fine, but 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: it's wise to invest a little time in trial and 39 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: error before you write things off altogether. Having a spirit 40 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: of iteration also means noticing when a habit that has 41 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: been great for you isn't any more. The Monday morning 42 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: run with your neighbor that has been an anchor of 43 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: your week for years may not be so great. When 44 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: you get a new job with a thirty minute commute. 45 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: After three Mondays in a row, scrambling to get out 46 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: the door on time, you may realize that what is 47 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: supposed to be a grounding, enjoyable start to the week 48 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: just isn't anymore, So you need to adjust. Maybe you 49 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: start your run fifteen minutes earlier, or run a shorter route, 50 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: or maybe you run Sunday mornings instead of Mondays, or 51 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: maybe you decide to have a quick coffee Monday mornings instead. 52 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: Just remember that a habit that worked for a while 53 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: can change when necessary. You can iterate tweaks to habits 54 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: and routines may be especially needed after changes to your schedule, 55 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: like if you move or your kids go to a 56 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: new school with a different start time. But even if 57 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: your schedule stays the same, routines may need to adjust 58 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: if your priorities change. We probably aren't the same people 59 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: we were five years ago, and our routines can evolve too. 60 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: In general, developing a spirit of iteration means you are 61 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: expecting your life to be dynamic, not static. You are 62 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: curious and open to change. Ultimately, that means things are 63 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: more likely to eventually work. In the meantime, this is Laura. 64 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 65 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 66 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 67 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 68 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 69 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 70 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: favorite shows.