WEBVTT - If you do nothing else

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is about one upside of daily habits that are

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<v Speaker 1>truly daily. You know that even if you do nothing

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<v Speaker 1>else on any particular day, you will have done your

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<v Speaker 1>daily habits. If you choose these habits well, that can

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<v Speaker 1>make for a reasonably productive day. So, like everyone, I

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<v Speaker 1>have days that feel frustrating. Sometimes this is because I

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<v Speaker 1>lack energy to do anything of consequence. Sometimes it's because

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<v Speaker 1>of other circumstances. There was one particular day recently that

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<v Speaker 1>prompted this episode when I had a number of important

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<v Speaker 1>conversations scheduled and all of them got canceled or didn't

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<v Speaker 1>feature everyone. They should have to make a decision because

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<v Speaker 1>of various illnesses and such things going around. Like I said, frustrating,

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<v Speaker 1>But I do have a few things I do every

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<v Speaker 1>single day as steps toward long term goals. I read

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit in my year long reading project this year.

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<v Speaker 1>It's all the works of Jane Austen, and I write

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit in my year long writing project this year.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm writing two lines of a sonnet each day, so

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<v Speaker 1>I will have fifty two sonnets by New Year's So

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<v Speaker 1>even on a day when nothing else has happened, I

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<v Speaker 1>know I will have read ten pages of Jane Austen

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<v Speaker 1>and written one seventh of a sonnet. It's not much,

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<v Speaker 1>but it isn't nothing. I have made some progress on

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<v Speaker 1>long term things. The day is a total loss, and

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<v Speaker 1>much of life is mental anyway, whether you are productive

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<v Speaker 1>or not is mostly a matter of whether you feel

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<v Speaker 1>productive or not. In the grand scheme of things, it

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<v Speaker 1>probably doesn't matter what any of us do. But when

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<v Speaker 1>you feel a day hasn't been a total loss, you

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<v Speaker 1>might be more inclined to make a little more progress

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<v Speaker 1>on lots of things, or at least be in a

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<v Speaker 1>more cheerful mood. So with that in mind, perhaps you'd

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<v Speaker 1>like to start some sort of daily habit that could

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<v Speaker 1>give you a baseline sense of accomplishment. For something to

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<v Speaker 1>become a successful daily habit, it needs to be pretty doable.

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<v Speaker 1>It can't take much time, ideally just a few minutes.

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<v Speaker 1>It has to be something you find reasonably enjoyable, and

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<v Speaker 1>it can't be logistically complex, or you won't do it

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<v Speaker 1>while you're traveling or on weekends or any other time.

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<v Speaker 1>When you might not be around your normal tools and

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<v Speaker 1>environment or have your usual schedule. But if you write

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<v Speaker 1>a thank you note to someone every single day, you

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<v Speaker 1>know that even on a day that feels terrible, at

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<v Speaker 1>least you wrote a thank you note. If you listen

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<v Speaker 1>to ten minutes of box music every day, then even

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<v Speaker 1>on a terrible day, you will have listened to ten

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<v Speaker 1>minutes of great music. And if you have listened to

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<v Speaker 1>something amazing, how terrible can the day really be? So

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<v Speaker 1>figure out what you could do as an everyday habit,

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<v Speaker 1>and you will be able to find a bright side

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<v Speaker 1>of even a dismal day. Now, obviously, if the day

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<v Speaker 1>is truly horrendous in certain ways, you might not be

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<v Speaker 1>able to do your daily habit. But for most run

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<v Speaker 1>of the mill bad days, you will. And then maybe

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<v Speaker 1>the day, well it seems so bad. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our text. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at before Breakfast Pod that's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four then breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com

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<v Speaker 1>that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks so much.

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<v Speaker 2>Should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 2>is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,

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<v Speaker 2>visit the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 2>your favorite shows. M hmm.