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 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to commit to a must read for 4 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: I am sure many people listening to this have a 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: long list of books you would like to read it sometime, 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: So why not choose one of those books and make 7 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: the time as long time Before Breakfast listeners know. I 8 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: have spent the past year reading slowly through War and Peace. 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: I read Leo Tolstoi's epic for the first time in 10 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 1: and really enjoyed it. But I also read it quite quickly, 11 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: probably to get through it. I decided I wanted to 12 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: reread this book so I could understand it's complex characters 13 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: and the way Tolstoy weaves together philosophy and history and 14 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: narrative action. If generations of book lovers have identified War 15 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: and Peace as one of the best novels ever written, 16 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: then I wanted to make sure I really enjoyed it. 17 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: There are probably classics that you keep meaning to read. 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: Maybe you read them once in school but you think 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: you missed some of the nuances, or maybe you just 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: keep hearing how profound these books are and you want 21 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: to experience that yourself, Moby Dick, Ulysses, Beloved, Middle March, 22 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: The Brothers, Karamazov. The list is long of classics we 23 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: just can't miss, and yet we inevitably have missed some 24 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: of them. Or maybe you want to read the Bible 25 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: or another sacred text all the way through. There are 26 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: lots of online study plans that provide a roadmap for 27 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: reading through the whole Bible just a few minutes day. 28 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: That is totally doable. And if you profess a certain 29 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: faith but have not read the sacred text associated with it, 30 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: well it's probably worth doing. Why not in or perhaps 31 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: you must read? Isn't something that's lasted through the generations. Rather, 32 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: it's something more recent. Other people keep talking about it, 33 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: and you want to join in the conversation. Are you 34 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: the only person in your circle who hasn't read kel 35 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: Newport's Digital Minimalism or Emily Aster's The Family Firm or 36 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: Oliver Berkman's Four Thousand Weeks? Or maybe you haven't read 37 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: your partner's favorite novel. If your partner's favorite book ever 38 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: is Cormac McCarthy's The Road, don't you want to read 39 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: that as a window into his or her in her life. 40 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: Whatever it is that you have been meaning to read, 41 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: commit to act really reading that one particular book in 42 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: the coming year. If you commit to one must read 43 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 1: and focus your energies on that one book, you will 44 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: finally be able to check it off your list. Yep, 45 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: even if it is something long like were in Peace 46 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: or the Bible, and then you will become the kind 47 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: of person who has read that book. For something long 48 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: and intense, you could certainly spread your reading out across 49 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: a few months or even the whole year. For something 50 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: shorter or lighter. Maybe all it will take is putting 51 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: the book on your nightstand and actually opening it or 52 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: packing it into your carry on the next time you travel. 53 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: You could cross this new year's resolution off your list 54 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: in the first two weeks. As long as you focus 55 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: and do it, then who knows what that sense of 56 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: reading momentum will lead to next. If you decide on 57 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: a two must read, I'd love to hear what it is. 58 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. 59 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 60 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 61 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 62 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 63 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 64 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 65 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. 66 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: At i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is 67 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I 68 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 69 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I 70 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 71 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.