Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is that better tools make tasks more fun. If
Speaker 1: there is a task you do frequently, consider upgrading your tools.
Speaker 1: In cases where it makes sense, the whole experience just
Speaker 1: might become more pleasant. I really like notebooks, especially ones
Speaker 1: where the lines are small, the cover is pretty, and
Speaker 1: the paper has some tooth to it. I take a
Speaker 1: lot of notes on things, and make a lot of
Speaker 1: lists and come up with various ideas. And while it
Speaker 1: seems silly, I am marginally more likely to jot things
Speaker 1: down if my paper is nice. So when I can,
Speaker 1: I try to use nice notebooks and pens and just
Speaker 1: consider it money well spent. Similarly, since I work from home,
Speaker 1: I wind up cooking myself breakfast and lunch basically every day.
Speaker 1: It is nice to be able to have a hot meal,
Speaker 1: and I have used various pans over the years, but
Speaker 1: I finally bought a well reviewed one that wasn't so expensive,
Speaker 1: but cooks evenly and rents his clean with little fuss.
Speaker 1: That makes cooking my eggs every morning feel a little
Speaker 1: bit more like a treat. We all have tasks we
Speaker 1: do over and over again. Now, no doubt some folks
Speaker 1: already splurge on the best of everything, or already know
Speaker 1: what the best of everything is. But if you are
Speaker 1: the dutiful sort who listens to this kind of podcast,
Speaker 1: my guess is that you have a strong tendency to
Speaker 1: make dew. That old garden hose is perfectly fine. You
Speaker 1: can use the free pen they gave you at the orthodontist.
Speaker 1: There is nothing wrong with making dew. In many cases,
Speaker 1: it is a virtuous choice easier on the earth. But
Speaker 1: if something needs to be a work horse in your life,
Speaker 1: then consider that better tools can make tasks feel far
Speaker 1: more enjoyable. Cleaning becomes a more satisfying experience with good
Speaker 1: brushes and products that smell lovely. You might take more
Speaker 1: thorough notes and refer to them more frequently. If you
Speaker 1: use a good pen and notebook. It is easier to
Speaker 1: cook if scrubbing the pan afterwards isn't a total pain.
Speaker 1: So take an audit of your day and of your
Speaker 1: week and see what tools you use frequently. For many people,
Speaker 1: that's a basic kitchen knife, a pan, maybe scissors, dishbrushes,
Speaker 1: maybe something like a dog leash, lunch box materials, if
Speaker 1: you pack. Maybe it's something like a laptop for your
Speaker 1: side hustle or photo editing software. Maybe it's a spatula, washcloths, towels,
Speaker 1: or maybe it's your washing machine and dryer. I know
Speaker 1: those get a hefty workout in my house. If you've
Speaker 1: got a dog who sheds a lot and you feel
Speaker 1: like you spend your life vacuuming, you want a vacuum
Speaker 1: that sucks everything up and is a joy to hold.
Speaker 1: If something subpar is a common cause of annoyance and
Speaker 1: you are thinking of replacing it, read views from other
Speaker 1: users so you can find what really works. I've had
Speaker 1: quite good luck with products recommended by Wirecutter, so that
Speaker 1: is one place to check out. There are discussion threads
Speaker 1: on Reddit on just about anything, but in any case,
Speaker 1: things we use repeatedly need to be up to the job.
Speaker 1: The world is a big place. People are creative, so
Speaker 1: often there are better products. As one example, when I
Speaker 1: sing with my choir, I use a black choir folder
Speaker 1: that has an extra chord on the bottom so it
Speaker 1: stays open at the exact right angle. That is a
Speaker 1: major improvement over me having to hold the folder open
Speaker 1: at the exact right angle, and given that I spend
Speaker 1: hours each week holding that folder open at choir practice,
Speaker 1: that is actually a big deal. Better tools make tasks
Speaker 1: more enjoyable, and the more time is spent enjoying things
Speaker 1: rather than resenting them, the better off will all be.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for
Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite sh Yes