1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 2: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 2: tip is to try to keep your leisure time free 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 2: of little to dos. Yes, the to dos need to 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: get done, but by separating the two you can feel 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: productive and more relaxed. So I am sure that you, 7 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 2: like me, have a lengthy list of small tasks that 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 2: you need to tackle. For instance, I found myself on 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: a Saturday recently with a list that included buying a 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: train ticket, getting a new microphone, updating the week's childcare 11 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: schedule with some new information, buying a birthday present, and 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: so forth. These things do need to get done, and 13 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: for many people weekends and evenings are when they tend 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 2: to happen. But weekends and even also the time one 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 2: generally hopes to relax, and so this can create a conflict. 16 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 2: You might feel guilty if you are not purchasing that 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 2: train ticket, so then you are not totally relaxed. Or 18 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 2: you do it and then fifteen minutes later you remember 19 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 2: something else you were supposed to do, and this continues 20 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: for hours and you feel like you are always doing something. 21 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: So a better approach is to identify some spot of 22 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: your evening or weekend that would be hard to use 23 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: for anything fun. If you've got kids, this might be 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: time you are sitting on the sideline of a practice 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 2: waiting for them, or maybe you have gone to a 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: drop off birthday party but it's not worth it to 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: go home after dropping the kid off, just to turn 28 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 2: right back around, find a coffee shop, or get the 29 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: Wi Fi code for the gymnastics gym. 30 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: Bring your laptop and use this time to get to work. 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: If this doesn't describe your weekends, then maybe designate a 32 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: time that you probably. 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: Won't be using for anything exciting, say when your other 34 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: half is off exercising, or the two of you wouldn't 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: be doing anything together, or maybe earlier in the day 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 2: before you're likely to meet up with friends. Then use 37 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 2: this time to plow through your list. The upside is 38 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: that now you've used time that you wouldn't have been 39 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 2: using for particularly great leisure, and you have cleared the decks, 40 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: so it will be easier to just focus on having 41 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: fun the rest of the time. You don't have some 42 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: little part of your brain thinking train ticket which can 43 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: contaminate your leisure time. Now to be clear, I am 44 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: perfectly fine with you enjoying yourself, even if you haven't 45 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: purchased that train ticket yet. Sometimes, if my younger kids 46 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: are otherwise occupied, I actually tell myself, Okay, I am 47 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: not going to do any half to dos for the 48 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: next hour. Then I set a timer and relax and 49 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: then get to the to dos later. But I know 50 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: this is challenging for some people, just as some people 51 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 2: find it challenging to relax in a messy house. So 52 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 2: if that is the case for you, figure out how 53 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: to confine your to dos to a small period of 54 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 2: time so they don't contaminate everything else. Pure leisure is 55 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: really great if you can get it, and I absolutely 56 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: want that for you. In the meantime, this is Laura. 57 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 58 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 59 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 60 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 2: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 61 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 2: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 62 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 63 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.