1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and ours are more 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to choose 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: a work theme song to start your day. Playing a 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: favorite song every morning can psych you up for your 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: work and help make the home to work transition more clear. 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: Lots of pro sports teams have a song that plays 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: before their games or at other crucial moments. The well 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: loved or at least well known song gets the players 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: and the fans fired up. Think Sweet Caroline for the 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Red Sox Er, Don't Stop Believing for Detroit teams, And 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: of course, virtually every TV show has a theme song too. 14 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: For Cheers, I'll be There for You, for friends, Sunny 16 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: Day is sweeping the Clouds Away? For Sesame Street? Are 17 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: you singing all of those now? The theme song sets 18 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: the tone for the show and also accuse you that 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: the show is about to begin. You get into the 20 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: cheers mode when you hear it. A work theme song 21 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: can do something similar for you. It can create the 22 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: mood for your work day and help you transition from 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: home mode to work mode even when you're staying in 24 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: the same place. Given how fraught this transition can be 25 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: for people who are new to working from home, that 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: is no small benefit in choosing a work theme song. 27 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: Consider the songs you love the most, songs that you 28 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: like to sing along with and that make you feel 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: energized and strong. There's no need for the words to 30 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: match the work you're doing. Sweet Caroline has nothing to 31 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: do with baseball, at least as far as I know, 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: so you can take some poetic license in choosing a 33 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: song with no literal connection to your job. It's the 34 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: feeling that you're going for. Once you've picked a song, said, 35 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: the habit of playing it on your phone while you're 36 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: making your coffee, heading to your workspace, and getting set 37 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: up for the day. By the time you sit down 38 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: at your computer, you'll feel energized for whatever the day brings. 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: Playing the song every morning at the same time reinforces 40 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: the transition from home to work time and helps focus 41 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: your attention on the work ahead. You may even decide 42 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: to play your work theme song at other times besides morning, 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: to like when you're transitioning back to your desk after 44 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: lunch or when you need a mid afternoon pick me 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: up before the final stretch. One of the big upsides 46 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: of remote work is that you have more control of 47 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: your environment. You are probably not going to blast your 48 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: own personal theme song at the office unless you're running 49 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: the place, but in your own new corner office, well 50 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: why not. Choosing a theme song is just one way 51 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: you can make your environment work for you so you 52 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: can do your best work. If you have a theme song, 53 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear what it is. You can reach 54 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:07,399 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. In the meantime, 55 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding 56 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is 57 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit 58 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 59 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: get your favorite shows.