1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: This week we've been talking about tips from Gretchen Reuben, 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: the host of the podcast Happier. In particular, we've been 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: looking at tips from her most recent book, Outer Order 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: inter Calm, But today I'd like to talk about one 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: tip inspired by her first self help book, The Happiness Project. 8 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: This tip is about how you can go sort of 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: back to school as an adult, but without actually going 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: back to school and with all the tuition and homework 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: that entails. A great many years ago, Gretchen looked around 12 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: at her very good life and wondered why she didn't 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,639 Speaker 1: feel blissful. She decided to undertake a year long project 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: to become happier. Each month she would examine a different 15 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: aspect of life and take a few concrete steps that 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: existing research suggested should improve her mood. She did not 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: become a complete bluebird. That's really just not in her temperament, 18 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: but at the end of the year, she did feel 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: like life felt better. In any case, it's back to 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: school season here in the US. Most districts have either 21 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: started classes or we'll start in the next two weeks. 22 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: As adults, we don't necessarily get to indulge in all 23 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: the school supply shopping, in the excitement mixed with trepidation 24 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: that novel schedules bring. But I think all of us 25 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: could capture the feeling of a fresh start with our 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: own school year projects. If from now until June you 27 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: gave yourself a self improvement project each month, what could 28 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: you accomplish a month? About thirty days is long enough 29 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: to make change possible, but short enough that you can 30 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: stick with the change you choose. That's one reason challenges 31 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: such as the whole thirty eating program are popular, and 32 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: maybe you do want to borrow from some existing challenges. 33 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: In November, for the past few years, I've participated in 34 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: National Novel Writing Month, where you commit to writing a 35 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: fifty thousand word novel in thirty days. Indeed, my time 36 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: management fable Juliette School of Possibilities was written almost entirely 37 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 1: in November. But you can also make up your own challenges. 38 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: In October, for instance, I set and met my goal 39 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: to read War and Peace by the end of the month. 40 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: Each December, I create a holiday fun list of activities 41 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: such as eating breakfast with Santa at Longwood Gardens, and 42 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: putting my kids in a Christmas pageant. These activities make 43 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: this season feel festive to me. In January, with the 44 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: energy of New Year's behind you, you might try exercising 45 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: every single day, or maybe you try the Dry January 46 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: challenge of abstaining from alcohol for a month. If you 47 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,119 Speaker 1: play a musical instrument recreationally, you could choose a month 48 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: to get serious about the practicing and schedule in an 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: hour a day or at least thirty hours total over 50 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: the month. For improving at your craft, you could take 51 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: another month to write a thank you note every single day. 52 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: If you're serious about starting a blog or a podcast, 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: you could choose a month to create a new post 54 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: or episode every day. You might get romantic in February 55 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: and figure out a new way to show your love 56 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: for your partner each day. In any case, you'd probably 57 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: learn a lot, and you'd accomplish some interesting things. You'd 58 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: find new opportunities, and by June you'd probably feel like 59 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: you've moved forward. The equivalent of a grade in life, 60 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: perhaps more so than in a traditional classroom. The fact 61 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: that adult life often lacks the structure of a classroom 62 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: is one thing that makes it so disorienting for some people. 63 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: But we can always create our own structure. Going back 64 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: to school with eight to nine months of projects is 65 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: one way to do that. So what projects will you 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: undertake this school year? You can let me know at 67 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. In the meantime, 68 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 69 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Yeah, hey, everybody, I'd love 70 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 71 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 72 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the 73 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 74 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i 75 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out 76 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 77 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 78 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 79 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 80 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.