1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to always have something to look forward to. 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: Even a dark outlook can lighten with something bright on 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: the horizon. And it turns out that we have the 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: power to engineer a lot of really good future stuff 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: into our lives. Life feels better when we're always doing 8 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: just that. I know that planning has been well a 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: fraud topic for the past few months. Long time listeners 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: may recall that I urged everyone to plan all of 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: their vacations before the year started. Anyone who took my 12 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: advice has probably been doing a lot of canceling. But 13 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: even though plans sometimes have to change, I do think 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: there is val you in planning, and in particular, there 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: is value in planning in fun stuff. Always having something 16 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: to look forward to allows us to weather rough times 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: as we think of the good stuff to come. This 18 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: is because anticipation actually accounts for the bulk of the 19 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: happiness we gain from any event. One study that looked 20 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: at happiness and vacations found that people who were going 21 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: on vacations were happier than those who weren't, of course. 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: But the more interesting finding is that the biggest boost 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: in happiness came before the trip, when people imagine the 24 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: fun they would have in the moment. Nothing is ever 25 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: perfectly blissful. You can be sitting on a tropical beach 26 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: with the love of your life and be obsessed with 27 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: whether a mosquito is about to bite your leg. And 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,639 Speaker 1: while that sounds like a really bad aspect of human nature, 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: you can use it to your advantage. When we plan 30 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: fun stuff in ahead of time, we can give ourselves 31 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: a constant boost. And that is true even if the 32 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: stuff doesn't happen, But of course it's more fun when 33 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: it does, and there are certainly things that can happen 34 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: regardless of what goes on in the rest of the world. 35 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: I schedule video chats with a friend and I love 36 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: seeing those on the calendar, same with long runs with 37 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: another friend. You might be able to rent a house 38 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: somewhere relatively nearby for a week or a long weekend, 39 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: maybe a day of full kid coverage as you excited, 40 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: I'm dreaming up places to go on a leaf peeping 41 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: trip this fall. I'd like to take a long bike 42 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: ride too. Thinking of these things has me looking forward 43 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: to the next few months, even if I know that 44 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: much is uncertain with my kids, schooling and everything else, 45 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: some of the days will be slogs. But if there 46 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: is something on my calendar that makes me feel like 47 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: the future will have good moments too, then I can 48 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: weather the slogs. I know they are not the full story. 49 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: So today, take a few minutes to think through some 50 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: genuinely enjoyable activities that you can put on your calendar. 51 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: What will make you smile as you think about your 52 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: future fun think through the logistics, call whoever you need to, 53 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: or make your reservations, and then be prepared for today 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: to feel a little rosier. Many a dreary day has 55 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: been warmed by the sun of a future vacation. When 56 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: you always have something to look forward to, that little 57 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: bit of sunshine just follows you around in the meantime. 58 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 59 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 60 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 61 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 62 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: and Instagram at before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four. 63 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: Then breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 64 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: an email at before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media 65 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 66 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 67 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 68 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 69 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 70 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.