1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to remember that routines need a purpose. 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: They are there to accomplish something in life, not to 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: exist for their own sake. I'm taking this tip from 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: a new book called The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. 7 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: She writes about various hacks for making life easier, such 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: as making the same thing for dinner every Monday, or 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: giving everything a place. She loves routines and lazy geniuses 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: that take full advantage of these energy savers, but in 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: the book she notes that routines are on ramps to 12 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: somewhere else, not destinations themselves. The reason to have a 13 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: bedtime routine is to pave the way for good sleep. 14 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: The reason to have a morning routine is to start 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: the day in a calm and productive place. Ironically, she writes, 16 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: when you let routine be in charge, you ultimately miss 17 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: out on what matters. Anyway. I love routines too, but 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: I also love this distinction. We all know people for 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: whom the routine becomes the end point itself. Kids must 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: be in bed at precisely seven fifty five, and if 21 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: there's a once in a lifetime meteor showers starting at 22 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: eight pm, well too bad. Or a morning exercise routine 23 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: becomes so set that there is zero space for compromise 24 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: with family members. To take advantage of the benefits of 25 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: routine without becoming pointlessly rigid, it helps to ask a 26 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: few questions as we build habits. Most importantly, what is 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: the purpose of this routine? Why am I doing this 28 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: With a kid's bedtime routine? We're helping them feel safe 29 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: and calm and loved as they go to sleep. It's 30 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: at least partly about connection and in many cases about 31 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: sharing bedtime stories that produce a sense of wonder. So 32 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: in fact, watching that meteor shower with them could also 33 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: help them feel loved and help them feel that connection 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: and sense of wonder before bed. You're not staying up 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: late just because you're still getting at the deeper purpose. Sometimes, 36 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: as you pursue your purposes, it helps to remember that 37 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: routines can actually be flexible. They don't need to be 38 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: precisely time bound. For example, from December sixteen to December nineteen, 39 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: I ran at least a mile every single day. Yep, 40 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: that's about days in a row. And while my family 41 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: members sometimes ruled their eyes at this habit, I also 42 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: made sure that I didn't inconvenience them too much. I 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: was willing to run it pretty much any time of 44 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: the day, morning, noon, night. If I had insisted on 45 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: running at exactly seven am every morning, that would have 46 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: been pretty alienating and probably something would have happened to 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: make me unable to continue. But by focusing on the 48 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: purpose a small daily exercise habit, I was okay with 49 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: being a bit more giving on the details, and that 50 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: ultimately made the daily running streak possible. In any case, 51 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: if you're trying to build a routine into your life, 52 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: first focus on this why, as a Dachi writes, the 53 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: routine itself isn't what matters. It's simply an on ramp 54 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: to help prepare you for what does. So make sure 55 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: that you begin with what matters to you, not with 56 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: the steps to get there. Ultimately, these wisely chosen routines 57 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: have more staying power than those that are more militant 58 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: on the details. In the meantime, this is Laura, Thanks 59 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 60 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 61 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 62 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 63 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 64 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. 65 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: At i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is 66 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I 67 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 68 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 69 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 70 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.