WEBVTT - When’s the next big thing?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to make sure we always have special

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<v Speaker 1>experiences to look forward to in the future. When we

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<v Speaker 1>do this, time and life in general feel far more

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<v Speaker 1>rich and fun. This pandemic has been going on for

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<v Speaker 1>a long time, and for many people, remote work and

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<v Speaker 1>virtual school have been going on for a long time too.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been a tough year with less travel, fewer social engagements,

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<v Speaker 1>and not even getting to leave home. In many cases,

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<v Speaker 1>the days can bleed into each other, constrain lifestyles feel monotonous.

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<v Speaker 1>Actively looking forward to special experiences can make time feel

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<v Speaker 1>differ frint. We feel excited as we anticipate the good experiences,

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<v Speaker 1>and we are reminded that every day isn't exactly the same.

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<v Speaker 1>So when is the next big thing in your life

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<v Speaker 1>that you can start looking forward to. Maybe it's Thanksgiving,

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<v Speaker 1>which is next week for my US listeners. You love

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<v Speaker 1>pecan pie and turkey, and Thanksgiving is the day you

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<v Speaker 1>eat them. Christmas is just a few weeks away. You

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<v Speaker 1>could be looking forward to the day you decorate your tree,

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<v Speaker 1>the day you go see holiday lights, or hearing a

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<v Speaker 1>favorite Christmas album that you packed away after the holidays

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<v Speaker 1>last year. Everybody can probably add their own special days, vacations, birthdays,

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<v Speaker 1>important days at work, maybe outdoor, physically distant social gatherings

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<v Speaker 1>that are now on the calendar. By getting excited about

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<v Speaker 1>the next big things, we can give shape and meaning

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<v Speaker 1>to our time and avoid the feeling of monotony. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I not encouraging you to wish your time away as

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<v Speaker 1>you look forward to things. This is not about saying

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<v Speaker 1>to yourself, I can't wait till or only three more

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<v Speaker 1>weeks till vacation, because what about the months between now

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<v Speaker 1>and then? Time is ultimately limited, and so wishing time

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<v Speaker 1>away is a miserable bargain. We need to enjoy the

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<v Speaker 1>in between time. Two. Fortunately, I think it's possible to

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to things while avoiding the trap of wishing

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<v Speaker 1>time away. One way to do that is to have

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<v Speaker 1>multiple things you're looking forward to at any given time.

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<v Speaker 1>Plan one big adventure and one little adventure each week.

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<v Speaker 1>That way, you're looking forward to the fire pit gathering

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<v Speaker 1>with your neighbors and going cross country skiing. You're looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to decking the tree and going to a local

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<v Speaker 1>amusement park that's open for limited admissions in a holiday light,

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<v Speaker 1>display your look loking forward to Thanksgiving and cooking a

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<v Speaker 1>special dinner for your partner's birthday. The more of these

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<v Speaker 1>things that are on the calendar, the more life feels

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<v Speaker 1>rich and full. So today, try to identify several special

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<v Speaker 1>experiences coming up in the next few months that you

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<v Speaker 1>are looking forward to. If you draw a blank, well

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<v Speaker 1>turns out you are not helpless. Here schedule something that

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<v Speaker 1>you truly would look forward to. Whatever it is that

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<v Speaker 1>you can still do now, buy tickets, plan logistics, make

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<v Speaker 1>arrangements with friends. Don't just sit there. Think about what

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<v Speaker 1>adds joy to your life and make sure that you

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<v Speaker 1>always have something to look forward to. When we can

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to big fun things in our futures, we

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<v Speaker 1>give shape to our time and we double the pleasure

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<v Speaker 1>of special events because we enjoy them while they're happening

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<v Speaker 1>and as we anticipate them. So what are you looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to? What are the next big things in your life?

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<v Speaker 1>You can let me know at Laura at Laura Vanderkam

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at i heart media dot com that Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.