1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: This is the five hundredth episode of Before Breakfast. When 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: I began this podcast in mid March two thousand nineteen, 5 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: I hoped it would find an audience. I am grateful 6 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: that many millions of downloads later, we've been able to 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: keep going through a global pandemic, through profound changes in 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: how people work, and through some changes in my own 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: life too. It's been great to share a new tip 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: every weekday morning. I called this podcast Before Breakfast because 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: I envisioned people waking up and listening as they started 12 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: their days. My goal is to share a tip that 13 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: will help you take your day from great to awesome. 14 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: Since every episode shared a tip, this one will too. 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: But it's really going to be the most fundamental tip 16 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: about time. That is that we do have the power 17 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: to take a day from great to awesome, or when 18 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: life requires it, from pretty bad to just okay. This 19 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: is really a miracle and realizing it can profoundly change 20 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: our lives. A life is made up of hours, and 21 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: while it's important to be satisfied with the direction of 22 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: our lives and to celebrate those good things. A biography 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,199 Speaker 1: is not necessarily a description of how life has lived. 24 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: I could tell you that I am a podcaster, an author, 25 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: a speaker, a mother of five. This is all true. 26 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: I'm grateful for all these things, but that doesn't necessarily 27 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: tell you how I spend Tuesday morning at ten am. 28 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: This matters because how we spend our hours has an 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: immense impact on our happiness. All the great pieces can 30 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: be in place, But if I am counting minutes on 31 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: Tuesday morning because I am stuck in a boring meeting, 32 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: or if I am wishing time away because my week 33 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: end is nothing but bickering children and hours negotiating with 34 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: my husband over whose turn it is to watch the baby, 35 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: then satisfaction will feel elusive. Happiness is not automatic. Joy 36 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: takes work. But the good news is that we have 37 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: the ability to do that work and to actively make 38 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: our minutes better. We have so many tools at our 39 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: disposal for moving minutes out of the horrible category where 40 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: we wish them away. Sometimes this is as simple as 41 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: adding something fun to something that would otherwise feel tedious. 42 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: A fun podcast makes a long commute better. Calling a 43 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: friend can make folding and dream more enjoyable, and sitting 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: next to a work friend during a boring meeting will 45 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: change the entire vibe. Watching a toddler is far from relaxing, 46 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: but we've baby proof to section of the house and 47 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: sometimes I'll convince one of my older kids to come 48 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: sitting there with us. This turns baby minding time into 49 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: social time, and I've found that kids really do get 50 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: pretty fun as they get older. Sometimes this can be 51 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: about planning in more fun activities to make a normal 52 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: day feel full and rich. Grabbing breakfast from a favorite 53 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: spot can liven up a work day, as can my 54 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: favorite option, the Monday evening date night. A thirty minute 55 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: break between calls can be turned into a walk in 56 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: a nearby park. A longer lunch break might become a 57 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: visit to a gallery or a library, or some other 58 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: little adventure. Send emails or texts to a bevy of friends, 59 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: and set up zoom calls or driveway meet ups. All 60 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: all of this is still possible even now if you 61 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: plan ahead instead of scrolling through headlines, take a twenty 62 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: minutes soak in the tub after the kids go to bed, 63 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: do a puzzle, read a novel, the email will still 64 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: be there. Think about things you will actively look forward to, 65 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: and then plan them liberally into your life. Why not. 66 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: Life can be a celebration pretty much all the time 67 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: when we think about it, and sometimes we can take 68 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: bigger steps toward making our hours feel joyful. We can 69 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,799 Speaker 1: commit to those activities that do bring us joy, maybe 70 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: joining a community choir or orchestra, signing up for a course, 71 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: becoming a regular at worship services, or volunteering somewhere. It 72 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: is okay to make these commitments. With our time. We'll 73 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: figure out the logistics other people in our lives will cope. 74 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: Even seemingly in tractable things like a deadened job can 75 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: be changed over time. Maybe not tomorrow, but in a year, 76 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: life can look completely different. Even in how we spend 77 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: our hours each day, we can try something else. We 78 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: plant more seeds that someday will sprout. Each day. We 79 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: can carve out time to think about our beautiful futures 80 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: and scheme up steps to get there. Who will you 81 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: reach out to? Who do you know, who might know somebody? 82 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: What can you read? What can you listen to? Where 83 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: can you go? Not? Everything can be changed. Life can 84 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: deliver all sorts of disappointments. But when we realize how 85 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: much control we have over at least some of our hours, 86 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: we can start to approach life differently. Morning by morning, 87 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: we look for ways to take miserable to tolerable, to 88 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: take okay to fun, to take great too awesome. We 89 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: really only have so much time, so seizing this superpower 90 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: is how we change our lives for the better. Before 91 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: Breakfast or any other time, I hope you have had 92 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: a few more awesome days over the past two years, 93 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: and if you have, I would love to hear about 94 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: what tips have worked for you. You can reach me 95 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. In the meantime, 96 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, especially to those who've 97 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: listened to all five episodes, and here's to making the 98 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 99 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 100 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 101 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 102 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: number four then breakfast p o D. You can also 103 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at i 104 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: heeart Media dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out 105 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 106 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 107 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 108 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 109 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.