1
00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480
Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

2
00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

3
00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:23,880
Speaker 1: tip is that better tools make tasks more fun. If

4
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,040
Speaker 1: there is a task you do frequently, consider upgrading your tools.

5
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,320
Speaker 1: In cases where it makes sense, the whole experience just

6
00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:40,880
Speaker 1: might become more pleasant. I really like notebooks, especially ones

7
00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,000
Speaker 1: where the lines are small, the cover is pretty, and

8
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,479
Speaker 1: the paper has some tooth to it. I take a

9
00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,479
Speaker 1: lot of notes on things, and make a lot of

10
00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,680
Speaker 1: lists and come up with various ideas. And while it

11
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,440
Speaker 1: seems silly, I am marginally more likely to jot things

12
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,480
Speaker 1: down if my paper is nice. So when I can,

13
00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,720
Speaker 1: I try to use nice notebooks and pens and just

14
00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:12,479
Speaker 1: consider it money well spent. Similarly, since I work from home,

15
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,440
Speaker 1: I wind up cooking myself breakfast and lunch basically every day.

16
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,800
Speaker 1: It is nice to be able to have a hot meal,

17
00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,160
Speaker 1: and I have used various pans over the years, but

18
00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,920
Speaker 1: I finally bought a well reviewed one that wasn't so expensive,

19
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,920
Speaker 1: but cooks evenly and rents his clean with little fuss.

20
00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,559
Speaker 1: That makes cooking my eggs every morning feel a little

21
00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,880
Speaker 1: bit more like a treat. We all have tasks we

22
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,520
Speaker 1: do over and over again. Now, no doubt some folks

23
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,640
Speaker 1: already splurge on the best of everything, or already know

24
00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,880
Speaker 1: what the best of everything is. But if you are

25
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,040
Speaker 1: the dutiful sort who listens to this kind of podcast,

26
00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,880
Speaker 1: my guess is that you have a strong tendency to

27
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:09,120
Speaker 1: make dew. That old garden hose is perfectly fine. You

28
00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,760
Speaker 1: can use the free pen they gave you at the orthodontist.

29
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,880
Speaker 1: There is nothing wrong with making dew. In many cases,

30
00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,560
Speaker 1: it is a virtuous choice easier on the earth. But

31
00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,519
Speaker 1: if something needs to be a work horse in your life,

32
00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:31,400
Speaker 1: then consider that better tools can make tasks feel far

33
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,959
Speaker 1: more enjoyable. Cleaning becomes a more satisfying experience with good

34
00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:43,960
Speaker 1: brushes and products that smell lovely. You might take more

35
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,359
Speaker 1: thorough notes and refer to them more frequently. If you

36
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:53,200
Speaker 1: use a good pen and notebook. It is easier to

37
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:58,680
Speaker 1: cook if scrubbing the pan afterwards isn't a total pain.

38
00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 1: So take an audit of your day and of your

39
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:09,240
Speaker 1: week and see what tools you use frequently. For many people,

40
00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:15,480
Speaker 1: that's a basic kitchen knife, a pan, maybe scissors, dishbrushes,

41
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,280
Speaker 1: maybe something like a dog leash, lunch box materials, if

42
00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,600
Speaker 1: you pack. Maybe it's something like a laptop for your

43
00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:33,120
Speaker 1: side hustle or photo editing software. Maybe it's a spatula, washcloths, towels,

44
00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,320
Speaker 1: or maybe it's your washing machine and dryer. I know

45
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,280
Speaker 1: those get a hefty workout in my house. If you've

46
00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,120
Speaker 1: got a dog who sheds a lot and you feel

47
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,840
Speaker 1: like you spend your life vacuuming, you want a vacuum

48
00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,120
Speaker 1: that sucks everything up and is a joy to hold.

49
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:57,080
Speaker 1: If something subpar is a common cause of annoyance and

50
00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,800
Speaker 1: you are thinking of replacing it, read views from other

51
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,800
Speaker 1: users so you can find what really works. I've had

52
00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,120
Speaker 1: quite good luck with products recommended by Wirecutter, so that

53
00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,160
Speaker 1: is one place to check out. There are discussion threads

54
00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:19,279
Speaker 1: on Reddit on just about anything, but in any case,

55
00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,560
Speaker 1: things we use repeatedly need to be up to the job.

56
00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,520
Speaker 1: The world is a big place. People are creative, so

57
00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:35,440
Speaker 1: often there are better products. As one example, when I

58
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,200
Speaker 1: sing with my choir, I use a black choir folder

59
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,279
Speaker 1: that has an extra chord on the bottom so it

60
00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,880
Speaker 1: stays open at the exact right angle. That is a

61
00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,719
Speaker 1: major improvement over me having to hold the folder open

62
00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,240
Speaker 1: at the exact right angle, and given that I spend

63
00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:00,640
Speaker 1: hours each week holding that folder open at choir practice,

64
00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:07,080
Speaker 1: that is actually a big deal. Better tools make tasks

65
00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,760
Speaker 1: more enjoyable, and the more time is spent enjoying things

66
00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:17,279
Speaker 1: rather than resenting them, the better off will all be.

67
00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:25,120
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

68
00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:35,159
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

69
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,000
Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,

70
00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:49,640
Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.

71
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,840
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts

72
00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,440
Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

73
00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,240
Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite sh Yes