1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: tip is to put good things on repeat. If you 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: enjoy something, notice that and figure out how to build 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: it into your life frequently. That way, normal everyday time 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: can be as enjoyable as possible. So this episode is 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: first airing around Groundhog's Day, a somewhat made up holiday 8 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: in the US where we see whether there will be 9 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: six more weeks of winter based on whether a groundhog 10 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: here in Pennsylvania sees his shadow. All very silly, however, 11 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: Groundhog Day was also a famous movie about a not 12 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: so nice gentleman forced to live the same day over 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: and over again. The question the movie poses, in its 14 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: own way, is how one should live if you were 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: going to live a day on repeat. Longtime listeners know 16 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: that I like this question, which is why I do 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: an episode just about every Groundhog's Day. On this topic, 18 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: I love putting. 19 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: Big bucket list type activities like traveling to the Galopagos 20 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: into my schedule. But much of our happiness in life 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 2: is determined by how we are spending the hours on 22 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 2: a normal day. If we can figure out how to 23 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 2: upgrade these everyday minutes and hours, then life will be 24 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: more enjoyable. Basically, we want to create normal days that 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: we could live over and over again and that would 26 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 2: continue to make us happy as we did so. So 27 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 2: today's tip is to figure out what small things create 28 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: bits of joy in your schedule, and then figure out 29 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 2: how you can make them happen a little more often. 30 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: For instance, and it's on a recent weekend day, I 31 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: invited one of my kids to go to our local 32 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: Panera with me to work. It was a snowy day 33 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: and our local Panera has a nice fireplace. I got 34 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 2: some work done, my kid got some studying done, and 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: we spent time together. 36 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: I enjoyed it. This is something I can probably do 37 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: with some of my older kids more frequently. A friend 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: and I have enjoyed hiking together on a local trail, 39 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: so now we aim to do this most weeks. It's 40 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: good to catch up, get some exercise, and spend time outside. 41 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: I have also had some success squeezing bits of pleasure 42 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: and two kid activities. When I take my daughter to tennis, 43 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,679 Speaker 1: there's a lovely little neighborhood nearby that I can walk 44 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: or run around. If I am picking my six year 45 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: old up at choir. I can stock buy the library 46 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: near there and have enough good books to make my 47 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: reading life better. If I turn on the gas fireplace 48 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: in my office, I can make my work hours a 49 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: way little more cozy and pleasant. What little things do 50 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: you enjoy? Think back to the last few days, or 51 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: the last week or two. Was there anything that stood 52 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: out as pleasant? Was there anything that made you smile? 53 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: I think it is also worth experimenting with things, trying 54 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: new stuff out to see what you like. If you 55 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: have never tried that deli that is slightly farther away 56 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: from your office, you might not know that this is 57 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: the perfect place for you and your best work friend 58 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: to start getting lunch every Thursday. But if you try 59 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: something like that and enjoy it, you can start to 60 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: make a habit of it. It can become a part 61 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: of your groundhog day life, or at least your groundhog week. 62 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: How would you structure a week that you would want 63 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: to live over and over again? I don't know, but 64 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: asking the question might make a better life possible. In 65 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 66 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 67 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 68 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 69 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 70 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 71 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.