1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 2: Good Morning. 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 3: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 3: tip is about one upside of daily habits that are 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 3: truly daily. You know that even if you do nothing 6 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 3: else on any particular day, you will have done your 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 3: daily habits. If you choose these habits well, that can 8 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 3: make for a reasonably productive day. So, like everyone, I 9 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 3: have days that feel frustrating. Sometimes this is because I 10 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 3: lack energy to do anything of consequence. Sometimes it's because 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 3: of other circumstances. There was one particular day recently that 12 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 3: prompted this episode when I had a number of important 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 3: conversations scheduled and all of them got canceled or didn't 14 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,919 Speaker 3: feature everyone. They should have to make a decision because 15 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: of various illnesses and such things going around. Like I said, frustrating, 16 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 3: But I do have a few things I do every 17 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: single day as steps toward long term goals. I read 18 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 3: a little bit in my year long reading project this year. 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: It's all the works of Jane Austen, and I write 20 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: a little bit in my year long writing project this year. 21 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 2: I'm writing two lines of a sonnet each day, so 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: I will have fifty two sonnets by New Year's So 23 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 2: even on a day when nothing else has happened, I 24 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: know I will have read ten pages of Jane Austen 25 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: and written one seventh of a sonnet. It's not much, 26 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: but it isn't nothing. I have made some progress on 27 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: long term things. The day is a total loss, and 28 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 2: much of life is mental anyway, whether you are productive 29 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 2: or not is mostly a matter of whether you feel 30 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: productive or not. In the grand scheme of things, it 31 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,119 Speaker 2: probably doesn't matter what any of us do. But when 32 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 2: you feel a day hasn't been a total loss, you 33 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 2: might be more inclined to make a little more progress 34 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 2: on lots of things, or at least be in a 35 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 2: more cheerful mood. So with that in mind, perhaps you'd 36 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 2: like to start some sort of daily habit that could 37 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: give you a baseline sense of accomplishment. For something to 38 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: become a successful daily habit, it needs to be pretty doable. 39 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 2: It can't take much time, ideally just a few minutes. 40 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: It has to be something you find reasonably enjoyable, and 41 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: it can't be logistically complex, or you won't do it 42 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 2: while you're traveling or on weekends or any other time. 43 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 2: When you might not be around your normal tools and 44 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 2: environment or have your usual schedule. But if you write 45 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 2: a thank you note to someone every single day, you 46 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: know that even on a day that feels terrible, at 47 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: least you wrote a thank you note. If you listen 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: to ten minutes of box music every day, then even 49 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 2: on a terrible day, you will have listened to ten 50 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: minutes of great music. And if you have listened to 51 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 2: something amazing, how terrible can the day really be? So 52 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: figure out what you could do as an everyday habit, 53 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: and you will be able to find a bright side 54 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: of even a dismal day. Now, obviously, if the day 55 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: is truly horrendous in certain ways, you might not be 56 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: able to do your daily habit, But for most run 57 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: of the mill bad days, you will, and then maybe 58 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: the day won't seems so bad. In the meantime, This 59 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 60 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: most of our text. 61 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 62 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 63 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at before 64 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four then breakfast Pod. 65 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 66 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled 67 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: out with all the letters, thanks so much. Should I 68 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 69 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 70 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,720 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 71 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: M HM.