1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: tip is that your life is a portfolio of choices. 4 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: Rather than thinking about a choice in isolation, think about 5 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: it alongside any other relevant choices you happen to remaking. 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: That can help you make better choices and in general, 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: enjoy life more. 8 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: So. In Wharton professor Katie Miltman's substack. Recently, she shared 9 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 2: a Q and A with behavioral scientist Erica Curios about 10 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: choice bracketing. Choice bracketing, according to Curios, has to do 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 2: with whether you think locally or globally when making a choice. 12 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 2: If you think locally in bracket narrowly, when making a choice, 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 2: basically consider the choice in isolation. All you are considering, 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: for example, is how to celebrate Thanksgiving, or what to 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 2: have for dinner tonight, or whether to go to your 16 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: neighbor's cookout. On the other hand, if you think about 17 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: a choice globally or bracket more broadly, you consider one 18 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: choice as part of a broader set of choices. So 19 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: as you consider how you will celebrate Thanksgiving, you might 20 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: also think about how you'll celebrate Christmas. Maybe you'll even 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: figure out when you last saw members of your family 22 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: and your partner's family. Bracketing broadly, you might recall that 23 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: you had a burger at lunch today, and you're going 24 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 2: out to a restaurant tomorrow night, and so you decide 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: to get something lighter and cheaper for dinner. Thinking globally 26 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: about whether to go to your neighbor's cookout might involve 27 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: remembering when you last saw your neighbors and also figuring 28 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: out when your next opportunity is to have a quiet 29 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: night at home. Katie Milkman suggested that bracketing broadly is 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: like considering our whole life portfolio. As she puts it, 31 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: just as considering each financial investment as part of your 32 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: whole financial portfolio helps you make wise money choices. When 33 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: you look at individual choices as part of a set 34 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 2: of life choices, you can often make better decisions for 35 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: your life portfolio. That's because you're able to get more 36 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: variety and address multiple goals. This is why I advise 37 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 2: planning travel for the year all at once, rather than 38 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 2: deliberating about each trip or school holiday separately. When you 39 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: plan the whole year's travel, everyone in your family will 40 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: get to look forward to travel they are excited about 41 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: at some point in the year, whereas a narrowly bracketed 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: decision to go to the beach for the holiday break 43 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: may leave half of your family thrilled and the other 44 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 2: half upset that they don't get to go skiing. Deciding 45 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 2: on family travel all at once also lets you think 46 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 2: about the travel budget for the year as a whole. 47 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 2: You are not asking narrowly whether you can afford one trip. 48 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: You are asking whether all your plans for the year 49 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 2: makes sense. Bracketing your choices broadly is important for time 50 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 2: as well. Longtime listeners have probably heard me caution against 51 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: the trap of thinking only in terms of the twenty 52 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: four hours in any given day. It is true that 53 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: there are only twenty four hours in a day. Any 54 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 2: given day may not include enough time for working nine 55 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 2: to six and coaching your daughter's softball game and serving 56 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 2: as a volunteer usher at the symphony, and practicing your 57 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: German and also seeing a friend. But think more broadly, 58 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: perhaps the timeframe of a month, and you probably do 59 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 2: have time to work nine to six most weekdays and 60 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: coach softball once a week, an usher at the symphony 61 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: one Sunday afternoon and have brunch with a friend, maybe 62 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: while speaking German at the same time. Broaden the timeframe 63 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 2: and suddenly you see opportunities for a variety of activities 64 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: that are important to you. The narrative of your life changes. 65 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 2: You're the sort of person who's a coach and a 66 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: symphony supporter and a good friend while also being a 67 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: rock star employee and parent. So if you're feeling like 68 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 2: there's not enough time in the day, never fear. There 69 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: probably is enough time in the month. When you bracket 70 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 2: more broadly, in general, there's plenty of room for family work, volunteering, friendships, exercise, hobbies, 71 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: whatever is important to you. And the more broadly we 72 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: can think about choices in general, the great. What are 73 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 2: the chances we'll get to do what matters in the meantime. 74 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 2: This is Laura. 75 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 76 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 77 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 78 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 79 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 80 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 81 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.