1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about fitting big fun into small moments. 4 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: Long time listeners know that I like to talk about 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: effortless fun and effort full fun. The effortless variety is 6 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: straightforward watching TV, scrolling through social media. Effort Ful fun, 7 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: on the other hand, is leisure that takes a bit 8 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: more effort, like reading or creative hobbies or chatting with 9 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: a friend. In general, the latter feels more rewarding, but 10 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: it tends to get crowded out by the well effortlessness 11 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: of effortless fun, so we spend our time on Facebook 12 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: like friends posts rather than talking with them. Now, I 13 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: know that there are reasons why we resort to effortless 14 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: fun instead of the effortful variety. Sometimes we lack the 15 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: energy to do anything else. But an equally important reason 16 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: is that we often feel like we don't have enough 17 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: time to get into our favorite effortful fun. Maybe we 18 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: only have five minutes or so. No one is going 19 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: to pull out the sewing machine in that small chunk 20 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: of time, or make pastries or call the friend who 21 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: likes to talk for an hour while you can read 22 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: in bits of time. It can be frustrating to have 23 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,559 Speaker 1: to put down a juicy novel after five minutes, which 24 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: means it can feel easier not to bother. So that 25 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: brings us to today's tip. See if you can find 26 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: ways to do small versions of your favorite fun, what 27 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: aspect of your favorite effortful fun might fit in a 28 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: few minutes. If you look at this question with a 29 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: problem solving mindset, I think you will come up with 30 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: a lot of ideas. For instance, if you love to read, 31 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: but don't want to pull your nose out of a 32 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: book after five minutes, how about reading some poetry instead. 33 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: There are lots of poetry websites and apps, or you 34 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: can get an e book of poetry and open that up. 35 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: Reading a little Mary Oliver will feel far better than 36 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: spending three minutes in the school pickup line reading about 37 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: how air popped popcorn is a great low calorie snack. 38 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: Or maybe you love to write, but you are not 39 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: exactly going to shape that gripping scene in your novel 40 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: in five minutes between virtual meetings. You can, however, write 41 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: in a one sentence journal, or write one words in 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: a free writing file, just a little stream of consciousness 43 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: that keeps the writing muscles sharp. You can get a 44 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: book of writing prompts and respond to these, and even 45 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: use the notes app of your phone to type your thoughts. 46 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: If you don't have the tools or capacity to write 47 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: with pen and paper, even artistic hobbies might fit in 48 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: bits of time. Take a few photos, sketch something, plan 49 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: out your next scrapbook page, even if you don't have 50 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: your materials handy, think through your next floral arrangement. I'd 51 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: also note that your phone allows for a lot of 52 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: purposeful information finding, even if that is not what we 53 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: often use it for. If you love to bake, use 54 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: those bits of time to study new recipes, watch a 55 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: video of a technique you are trying to master. If 56 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: you play the piano, listen to a recording of another 57 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: artist performing a piece you are learning. If you listen 58 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: to a handful of these through the day, you will 59 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: have all sorts of interpretations going through your brain by 60 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: the time you sit down at night to practice. You 61 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: can window shop through new embroidery patterns, or garden designs, 62 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: or high end yarns. In any case, you don't have 63 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: to resign yourself to aimless scrolling. Just because you only 64 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: have a few minutes for fun, effortful fun can still 65 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: fit in little bits of time if you think about 66 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: what might work, have a plan, and you will elevate 67 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: these little moments and that can make time feel a 68 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: lot more rewarding. In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 69 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 70 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 71 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 72 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 73 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then breakfast p o D. 74 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 75 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast 76 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 77 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 78 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 79 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 80 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.