1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to build a friendship or make a 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: family relationship stronger by starting a project that you can 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: share with the other person. I've been thinking of this 6 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: topic lately because over the holidays, my ten year old 7 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: and I built a Lego gingerbread house together. And this 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: was quite an undertaking. We had a little help from others, 9 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,279 Speaker 1: but mostly it was the two of us working through 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: two hundred some steps and one thousands some pieces. I 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: can't say it was something I would have done on 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: my own, but he likes his legos and this gave 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: us an opportunity to spend quite a bit of time 14 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: working toward a common goal. Other members of my family 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: have been doing similar things. My twelve year old and 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: eight year old, for instance, have been reading through the 17 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,639 Speaker 1: Harry Potter series together. My twelve year old read all 18 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,919 Speaker 1: the books on his own years ago and really enjoyed 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: him This project gave him a chance to share his 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: excitement with someone else well, having an excuse to reread 21 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: these stories. Or there's one of my favorite projects. My 22 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: other podcast, My Friends Sarah hart Unger and I had 23 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: been reading each other's blogs for years. Then we decided 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: to start a podcast together called Best of Both Worlds, 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: where we share our experiences and advice on working and 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: raising families. I've gotten together with Sarah and chatted on 27 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: the phone with her a few times before we started 28 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: the podcast, but we definitely spend a lot more time 29 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: together now, with our listeners expecting us to record a 30 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: conversation for publication every Tuesday. This is the genius of 31 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: a project. We all have people we say that we'd 32 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: like to spend more quality time with, and sometimes these 33 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: are people we already see a lot, like our immediate 34 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: family members, but the time is more focused on logistics 35 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: and homework nagging than anything else. Or sometimes the people 36 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: are friends or extended family members that we don't have 37 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: regular occasions to interact with. In either case, a project 38 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: provides structure as something with an end goal of its own, 39 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: It nudges relationship time higher up the priority list, and 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: that makes relationship time more likely to happen. Of course, 41 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: you don't actually have to start a podcast together to 42 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: do a project. It's just a matter of thinking about 43 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: something you and your friend or family member like to do, 44 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: and then seeing if there's a way you can take 45 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: it up a notch. How could you create a goal 46 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: or structure that would naturally increase the time you spend together. 47 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: Maybe you and your partner decide to train for a 48 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: half marathon together. You and a colleague you really like 49 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: decide to start a mentoring program in your company. Now 50 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: you have an excuse to have me meetings with a 51 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: colleague you really want to see. You and your teenage 52 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: child decide to do a one thousand piece puzzle. Aim 53 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: for something that will require regular interaction and take place 54 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: over a longer period of time. But when you do this, 55 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: you'll find that your relationship will grow stronger just through repeated, 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: purposeful interaction. So think today about who you might like 57 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: to spend more time with and how you could start 58 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: a project that would get you both excited. Make some 59 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: time to talk with the person about it, and soon 60 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: you'll see just how much fun it can be. In 61 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 62 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 63 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 64 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 65 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four, 66 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 67 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast. At i heeart media 68 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 69 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to 70 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 71 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit 72 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 73 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.