1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to approach any new skill the way 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: kids used to approach the puzzles on Blues Clues. Keep 5 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: repeating your way through it until you feel familiarity and mastery. 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: Blues Clues is an educational cartoon where preschoolers help Blue 7 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: the Dog solve puzzles with three clues. When this chauf 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: first started, and this was back before people recorded everything, 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: each episode ran five days in a row before a 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: new episode aired. The thinking was that preschoolers appreciated becoming 11 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: familiar with an episode, recognizing the characters and setting and story. 12 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: As they watched the same episode over and over again, 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: they understood what was happening and they were able to 14 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: figure out the mysteries, which felt really satisfying and fun. 15 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: If you want to build your skills and confidence in anything, 16 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: you might consider the Blues Clues method too. One obvious 17 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: application skills in the kitchen. A lot of people have 18 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: been challenging themselves to cook more during the pandemic. Unfortunately, 19 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: the way most of us do this, as we find 20 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: some recipe, try it once and then either decide we 21 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: like it or we don't. If we don't really like it, 22 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: we abandon it. If we do, we might cook it 23 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: on occasion in the future, but probably not for a 24 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: few weeks. In the meantime, we're trying half a dozen 25 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: other recipes, trying to find some favorites there too, But 26 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: this is a missed opportunity. Everything improves with practice, and 27 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: practice is at least partially about frequency. If you want 28 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: to learned to make bread, make the same bread every 29 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: Saturday morning, again and again until you consistently nail it. 30 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: Then you can add a new bread to the rotation. 31 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: Same thing with that new baked chicken recipe. Your family 32 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: probably doesn't want to eat it five nights in a row, 33 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: but every Monday for the next month or so. Isn't 34 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: too much to ask By the end of the month 35 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: that baked chicken will always be good. Then, if you want, 36 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: you can add a new dish to your repertoire. When 37 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: you try something new and keep doing it, you'll build familiarity, mastery, 38 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: and confidence, just like the kids watching Blues Clues. This 39 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: is true for skills out of the kitchen too. If 40 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: you are learning to knit. Why not aim to make 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: a dozen Infinity scarves, one after another. Whatever problems you 42 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: encounter in the first one, you will work out by 43 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: the twelve. I know that when I've built several flat 44 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: pack bookshelves or chairs in a row, I'm far more 45 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: confident in the last one, and my alan winch wielding 46 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: skills are much better than they were for the first one. 47 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: In Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming, she writes of her childhood 48 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: piano teacher forcing her to practice only one song at 49 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: a time, over and over again until she mastered it. 50 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: It drove this young pupil crazy, but the teacher wasn't 51 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: wrong that it was a very good way to improve 52 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: at the piano. Variety is great, but our general sense 53 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: that we are supposed to pursue variety can slow down 54 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: our progress, and we will get to the variety eventually. 55 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: Blues Clues does have more than one episode, I can 56 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: assure you, but aiming for variety over a longer time 57 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: horizon rather than right away is probably the way to go. 58 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: So if you are trying new skills in the kitchen, 59 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: or new hobbies or new skills at work, don't try 60 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: something new too quickly. Go all in on something and 61 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: learn it well. Then you can move on in time, 62 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: secure in the knowledge that you just figured out blues 63 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: clues or something like that. In the meantime, this is Laura. 64 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 65 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 66 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,679 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 67 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 68 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four, then 69 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 70 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com 71 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 72 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look for to staying in touch. 73 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 74 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 75 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 76 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: favorite shows.