1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about a simple way to make ordinary 4 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: moments feel more meaningful. Calculate how many more times you 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: will do them. The answer maybe less than you think, 6 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: which can make every remaining action feel more important. Today's 7 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: tip comes from Cassie holmes new book Happier Hour, How 8 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: to beat distraction, expand your time, and focus on what 9 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: matters most. In this book, Cassie explains how the ways 10 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: people spend their time can affect their happiness. One fascinating 11 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: finding as people get older, they tend to find a 12 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: higher level of happiness in ordinary events. When you're young, 13 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: it is the fantastic experiences that move the needle. A 14 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: delectable dinner, a stunning concert, an amazing vacation. Older folks, 15 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: on the other hand, can get just as excited by 16 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: a walk with a friend. In Happier Hour, Cassie writes 17 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: that realizing their time is precious, people become more prone 18 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: to savor even the simplest of moments. This, of course 19 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: suggests a little mind trick for finding small movements more meaningful. 20 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: Consider how many times you have done an activity and 21 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: then calculate how many times you can expect it to 22 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: happen again. You can make yourself feel the equivalent of 23 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: older by reminding yourself that these still to happen number 24 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: might be quite small. So, for instance, Cassie did this 25 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: after once telling her young son to hurry up when 26 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: he had literally stopped to smell the roses as they 27 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: were walking to preschool. She walked her kid to school 28 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: almost every day, and so she adapted to it as 29 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: an everyday activity, but her son wouldn't be in preschool forever. 30 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 1: On the day she was trying to get him to 31 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: hurry up, she had already completed eight of her walks 32 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: with him to preschool. Knowing that allowed her to realize 33 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: how precious those last really were. Some people automatically start 34 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: to do this as they realize their kids are getting older. 35 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: My oldest child is already fifteen. Most likely we only 36 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: have three years or so before he decides to move 37 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: on to the next chapter of his life. As we 38 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: figure out how to spend Christmas break, we should really 39 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: only assume we get three more Christmas breaks where he 40 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: is automatically here. It does make the experience of planning 41 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: Christmas more poignant now. To be sure, I have a 42 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: two year old as well, so I am not going 43 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: to be an empty nester for a long time. But 44 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: as I am pretty sure this is my last baby, 45 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: I have definitely thought how close I am to the 46 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: end of so many things. With him. I have changed 47 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: a lot of diapers in my life. I have probably 48 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: changed the diapers I am going to change at least 49 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: until the grandkids stage. That doesn't make diaper changing more pleasant, 50 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: but it does make each one feel less like a 51 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: tedious and eternal sentence. And then there is rocking a 52 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: baby to bed. Sometimes I really would like to have 53 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: this be an easier process. But in another year or 54 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: two he will be a big boy in a big 55 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: boy bed, and my multidecade journey of putting babies to 56 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: bed we'll be over. Right now, I am truly almost done. 57 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: In any case, if there is something in your life 58 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: you do frequently and you'd like to imbue it with 59 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: a bit more meaning, you might try this trick from 60 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: happier hour, figure out how many times you've done it, 61 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,239 Speaker 1: and figure out how many more times you have left. 62 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: There is no need to depress yourself as I contemplate 63 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: that the actuarial tables say, I probably have a mirror 64 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: two thousand weeks to go in my life. But it 65 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: does make individual moments matter more and that can make 66 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: time in general feel more expansive. In the meantime, this 67 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 68 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 69 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 70 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 71 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, 72 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 73 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media 74 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 75 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 76 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. 77 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 78 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 79 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.