1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to follow your fancy. If you find 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: yourself getting into a topic, go ahead and pursue it. 5 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: This can make your leisure time feel more meaningful and fun. 6 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: Last fall I went on something of a Neanderthal reading streak. 7 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: I've long found the idea of this extinct human like 8 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: species fascinating, and I've been looking for some good books 9 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: on the topic. When the Wall Street Journal ran a 10 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: review of Kindred, popular science book on the under Falls, 11 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: I thought this sounded like just what I was looking for. 12 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: I read it, learned a lot, and of course, then 13 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: Amazon's I'll Rhythm began suggesting other early human evolution books that, 14 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: for some reason, I hadn't really found in my searching earlier. 15 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: In the space of a month, I read close to 16 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: a dozen books on this topic before I exhausted most 17 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: of the offerings. During this time, I was never without 18 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: a book to read, and I was quickly becoming aware 19 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: of the different theories and what was known and not known. Lately, 20 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: I've been on a different sort of kick with puzzles. 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: There are a good activity to do at night after 22 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: the toddler goes to sleep and I'm tired and don't 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: always want to read. It feels better than just perusing Twitter. 24 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: And so I've done a handful of thousand piece puzzles 25 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: since January. The more I do in a row, the 26 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: better I get at it, and I learned which brands 27 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: of puzzles I like and which are more frustrating. I 28 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: have started eyeing a few I planned to buy in 29 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: the future, including a flight of Chris Smiths puzzles. I'm 30 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: happy to report that some of my kids are getting 31 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: into the idea of following your fancy too. One of 32 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: my children is really into Survivor, watching all the old 33 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: seasons and learning various trivia about the show. He'd read 34 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: anything he could about some of the contestants, their lives 35 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: before Survivor and after he started inventing his own reality show, 36 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: in a narrative about the different characters who would play 37 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: on it, including the alliances they would make. When something 38 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: strikes one's fancy, that means it is intriguing or of interest. 39 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: To follow your fancy is to note this intrigue and 40 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: to act on it. It means taking your leisure time seriously, 41 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: which I know sometimes sounds like a contradiction, But even 42 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: the busiest people do have some leisure time. We just 43 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: often treated mindlessly. Things aren't connected. We miss an opportunity 44 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: to really learn and to figure out and indulge interests 45 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: that might be entirely different from the work and family 46 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: months we spend so much time on. I make my 47 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: living writing and speaking about time management. There is pretty 48 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: much zero connection between the Neanderthals and modern time management. 49 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: But so what I love to learn, and sometimes regular 50 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: adult life feels like it is bereft of opportunities to 51 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: learn new things. Follow your fancy and you can be 52 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: like a kid in a favorite class, again, one perfectly 53 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: tailored to you and your interests. So when you notice 54 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: yourself becoming intrigued by something, or seeking out articles or 55 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: shows on a topic, pay attention. See if any other 56 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: books are experts are mentioned. Seek these out, getting these 57 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: new books from a bookstore or at the library. Research 58 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: what is out there. Yes, you might eventually spend some 59 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: money on all this. I've been trying to use gift 60 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: cards to feed my puzzle addiction, but I do think 61 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: there are worse ways to spend money. People spend a 62 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: lot to make themselves happy, or just on convenience. Getting 63 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: dinner delivered the other night cost enough to buy three puzzles, 64 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: each of which might entertain me for ten hours or so. 65 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: It's good to see these things as we make our choices. 66 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: Scrimp on other things, but spend on your enjoyment, because 67 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: when you follow your fancy life can feel a lot 68 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: more fun. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 69 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Yeah, hey, everybody, 70 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 71 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 72 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 73 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: That's b the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 74 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 75 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 76 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 77 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 78 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 79 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 80 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.