1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to get the pebble out of your shoe. 4 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: If you have been living with a little annoyance for 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: a long time, give yourself the gift of dealing with 6 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: it once and for all. Little annoyances are, by definition little. 7 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: They don't seem like that big a deal in the 8 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: grand scheme of things. Think things like a tiny pebble 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: in your shoe. It isn't going to keep you from 10 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: walking if you need to walk. Or maybe it's junk 11 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: on the floor of your car that is your metaphorical pebble, 12 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: or a box of donations that have been sitting in 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: your trunk for weeks. The clock that has been blinking 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: since the last power outage, the small insurance claim that 15 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: needs to be resubmitted, and so you have been leaving 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: the form on your desk since it arrived a month ago. 17 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: I am sure you can list a host of your 18 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,919 Speaker 1: own little pebbles. Now, none of these things are exactly crises. 19 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: We can live with them. The problem is that when 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: we keep seeing them over and over, the realization that 21 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: the pebbles are still there, can sap energy and just 22 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: generally make us annoyed with life. Who wants to live 23 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: with that long term? Instead, here is an idea. Set 24 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: a goal of starting the new year with no lingering 25 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: pebbles in your shoes. You will decide at some point 26 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: in the next few weeks to deal with your currently 27 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: outstanding little issues and dispatch them from your mental universe. 28 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: The process is simple enough. I mean, these are all 29 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: little things, right, So make a list of the pebbles. 30 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: Go through your house, your car, your calendar, your computer, 31 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: your phone, whatever you deal with frequently. Note anything that 32 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: needs to be fixed. You could probably separate the list 33 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: into items that need to be dealt with or could 34 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: be dealt with immediately, and those that might need an 35 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: additional step or two. You can drive the box of 36 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: donations to the center right now. You might need to 37 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: order new light bulbs, though, and wait a few days 38 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: for delivery. So choose at least two windows for batching 39 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: all these tasks. Maybe the first is a Saturday afternoon 40 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: when everybody is out of the house. In the second 41 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: is a mostly free evening a week later. Of course, 42 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: some of the pebbles might be lingering as pebbles because 43 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: you don't know how to deal with them. If that 44 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: is the case, set aside ten minutes of your first 45 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: window for researching this question. In ten minutes you could 46 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,679 Speaker 1: probably figure out if it's a simple fix and all 47 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: you need to do is watch a YouTube tutorial, or 48 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: if the problem is more complicated. If it is more complicated, 49 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: then calling the plumber or handyman or tech guru in 50 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: your life can go on the list. Another possibility is 51 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: that the pebble is so annoying that you just keep 52 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: putting it off. If that is the case, one idea 53 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: is to ask for the pebble to be dealt with 54 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: as a gift to you. I once asked my husband 55 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: to put air in my car tires as a present 56 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: to me. He drove my car over to the gas 57 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: station and dealt with it. Not crossed something off the 58 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: list for him too, for buying me a present. I 59 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: know of a person who got frames for a stack 60 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: of photos as a present for his partner. Very romantic 61 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: if you think about it. I'm being serious here, I'm 62 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: not kidding. If there is a friend or family member 63 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: who you know will not find the task nearly as 64 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: annoying as you will, the gift request could be a 65 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: reasonable option. In any case, If you are strategic, you 66 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: can probably knock almost all of these pebbles off the 67 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,799 Speaker 1: list in just the next few weeks. Sometimes life delivers 68 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: obvious deadlines on these things. We've dealt with a few 69 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: pebbles in the course of getting the house ready to list, 70 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: getting rid of the broken place set, fixing a spot 71 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: on the ceiling. None of these took much time. They 72 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: just had to get done. But if you are not moving, 73 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: you need to make your own deadline. So how about 74 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: the end of the year. You can truly start fresh 75 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: and enjoy at least a little respite until new pebbles appear. 76 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: But when they do, you'll know there's a method for 77 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: dealing with them, and so eventually you will so you 78 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: can devote your energy two more important things in the meantime. 79 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 80 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 81 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 82 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 83 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: and Instagram at before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 84 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 1: number four. Then Breakfast p O. D. You can also 85 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at before for Breakfast podcast at 86 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with 87 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 88 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 89 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 90 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 91 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.