1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: tip is to pick your long weekend a leisure. Before 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: you go into a long weekend, more so, even than 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: just a regular weekend, make sure that you have a 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: first choice for how to spend your downtime. This increases 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: the chances that you'll spend time on that and less 8 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: time on other things. Today's tip is first airing right 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: around the fourth of July in the United States. This 10 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: is a national holiday, and this year it happens to 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: fall on a Friday, which is pretty exciting. We have 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: a ready made long weekend. I know a lot of 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: folks are taking advantage of that to get to the beach, 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: or go see family, or go to an amusement park 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: or watch some great fireworks. Even in a weekend with 16 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff going on, there is always some downtime, 17 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: hopefully more than a little. The problem is we don't 18 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: always think about exactly when this leisure is going to happen, 19 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: or perhaps we just don't know. You're hanging out at 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: Grandma's and no one is up, or you didn't go 21 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: on that group boat ride at the lake, and they're 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: late coming back, and you're sitting around in the quiet. 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: Now what the easiest thing, as usual is to pick 24 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: up the phone. But then precious leisure time is spent 25 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 1: looking at influencers you don't even know. It doesn't feel 26 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: all that rejuvenating. So instead, going into any long weekend, 27 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: figure out what your first choice leisure activity is going 28 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: to be. For a lot of people, that might mean 29 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: reading a really good book. So you need to make 30 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: sure you have that really good book. Go get it 31 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: from the library, or go visit the library if you 32 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: don't know what you want to read, and see what 33 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: looks alluring. If you don't always win at the library 34 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: and I get it it happens, go to a bookstore. 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes the newer stuff is more readily available there. Books 36 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: are cheap as entertainment goes. Whatever it is, though, make 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: sure you are really looking forward to reading this book, 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: because then you will pick it up as soon as 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: you realize that no one else is up at Grandma's 40 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: or the boat is coming back later than you thought 41 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 1: or whatever. Of course, books aren't the only option, or 42 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: you might need a break from reading. I love doing 43 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: one thousand piece puzzles, so before any long weekend, I 44 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: make sure I have a new one ready to go. 45 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: Puzzles are pretty cheap entertainment, just like books. Twenty dollars 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: for something that often takes me at least ten to 47 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: fifteen hours. But you could swap some puzzles with friends 48 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: if you're looking to save cash there too. You might 49 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: buy a new crossword puzzle book or get a new 50 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: cross stitch pattern. You could buy a new art kit 51 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: or set yourself a goal like sketching three different kinds 52 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: of wildflowers the course of the weekend. Even if your 53 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: chosen leisure is screen time, I still think it is 54 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: helpful to figure out exactly what this is so you 55 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: know what to seek out and you know what you 56 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: are excited about. Maybe you download a new game and 57 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: decide to play that, or set up an online tournament 58 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: with friends. You wait to stream the next season of 59 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: a favorite show and tell it's the long weekend so 60 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: you can really savor it. During that time, you and 61 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: your spouse decide to go to a movie marathon based 62 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: on a particular actor's work. Or maybe your favorite baseball 63 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: team has three games over the holiday weekend. Maybe you 64 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: can go to one and make watching the other two 65 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: on TV into an event. The point is you are 66 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: going to have some leisure time, even if it's not 67 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: as much as you want. You will be more likely 68 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: to notice that this time is happening and really savor 69 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: it if this downtime is intentional. When you finish a 70 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: fun summer read by the end of a long weekend, 71 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: and it's hard to tell yourself the story that you 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: have zero time. When you are halfway through a one 73 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: thousand piece puzzle by the end of a long weekend, 74 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: it is hard to tell yourself the story that you 75 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: have zero time, because in general we do have time. 76 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: Time is big enough for all sorts of things, so 77 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: it is good to make sure that the long weekend 78 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: helps paint an accurate picture of life in the meantime. 79 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 80 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 81 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 82 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 83 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 84 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: please visit the iheartrate you app Apple podcasts, or wherever 85 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.