1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about a simple strategy you can use 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: to make the people in your life happier. Try leaving 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: encouraging sticky notes where they'll find them. I'm taking this 6 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: idea like our recent tip to greet people with a 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: smile from Audrey Monkey's book Happy Campers. Monkey is a 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: long time camp director, and her book asks the question 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: of why most kids love summer camp so much. One 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: answer the relentlessly positive atmosphere. And the good news is 11 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: that there are practical ways to recreate this positive atmosphere 12 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: at work and at home. That's why Monkey proposes what 13 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: she calls the sticky notes solution. You write short positive 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: messages on sticky notes to give the people you care 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: about a mental boost. If you've got kids, for instance, 16 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: they are prime targets for sticky notes. Monkeys say, just 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: thinking about something you appreciate about your kid, let them 18 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: know that you notice, she says, by mentioning this quality 19 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: on a sticky note that you put on the bathroom mirror. 20 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: The note can say something like your great sense of humor, 21 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: makes my days happier, or thank you for doing the 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: dishes without being asked. I appreciate how you help our 23 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: home run smoothly. As Monkey observes, kids often hear what 24 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: they're doing wrong. This is a simple way to emphasize 25 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: what they're doing right. Your spouse might appreciate what he 26 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: or she is doing right being called attention to as well. 27 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: Leave a sticky note with a thank you message or 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: something more romantic on the bathroom mirror or somewhere else 29 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,839 Speaker 1: you know your spouse will see it. The coffee maker, 30 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: for instance, he or she is always the one making 31 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: the morning pot, or even on his or her steering wheel. 32 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: Another idea, pick one of your favorite inspirational quotes and 33 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: put it on a sticky note on your own or 34 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,559 Speaker 1: your kid's bathroom mirror or the refrigerator. Monkey writes to gather, 35 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: you can think about a positive thought each time you 36 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: see the sticky note. Switch the inspirations out from time 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,519 Speaker 1: to time, and encourage your kids to share their own 38 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: favorite quotes. You can deploy the sticky notes solution with 39 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: care at work as well. If you're managing people, you 40 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: know that you should be generous with your praise and 41 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: schedule time for celebratory feedback, but sometimes it's hard to 42 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: make the time to sit down with people to celebrate 43 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: what's going right. In between such celebratory meetings, you could 44 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: leave the occasional sticky note on a return document or 45 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: printed up note from a happy client, or even on 46 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: the person's desk, mention how pleased you are and call 47 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: out what the person did. Well. Yes, it's easy enough 48 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: to send an email saying the same thing, but we 49 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: get lots of email stuff gets buried. An actual note 50 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: we'll get noticed. I really like this idea. Sticky notes 51 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: are cheap and they're physically small, which means that even 52 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: if you wanted to, you couldn't write a novel on there. 53 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: There's space for just a few words. But fortunately a 54 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: few words is often all it takes to make someone's day. 55 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: And if you have the power to make someone's day, 56 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: well why wouldn't you. In the meantime, this is Laura. 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 58 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 59 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 60 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. At 61 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then 62 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: Breakfast p O D. You can also shoot me an 63 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot 64 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 65 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 66 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 67 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 68 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 69 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: favorite shows.