1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: tip is to make a to love list. Write down 4 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,159 Speaker 1: the names of the people you'd like to offer a 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: little extra attention to in the upcoming week. This will 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: nudge you to reach out and to seek opportunities to connect. 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: Today's tip comes courtesy the New York Times Friendship Challenge, 8 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: as part of their series on strengthening your friendships. They 9 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: recommend creating what they call a to love list. Just 10 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: like a to do list includes all the tasks you 11 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: need to do, a to love list includes all the 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: people you would like to connect with. Just as with 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: a to do list, you probably want to make this 14 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: list regularly. You could do it as part of whatever 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: weekly or daily planning sessions you already do. Longtime listeners 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: know that I suggest making a three category weekly priority 17 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: list each Friday. One of those categories is relationships, and 18 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: the to love list is kind of a version of that. 19 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: What relationships do I want to help grow in the 20 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: next week or so. Now, obviously, your closest friends and 21 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: family members are probably perpetually on the list, But just 22 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: as I am guessing you don't put check email on 23 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: the to do list because you do it all the time. 24 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: You might think of the to love list as people 25 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: you want to show a little extra affection too, beyond 26 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: the ordinary, either because they really need it or because 27 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: you haven't in a while. So while you are hopefully 28 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: showing your love to all your children, maybe one is 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: disappointed at not getting a big part and it can't 30 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: play that kid can get a star next to his 31 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: name on the to love list. Or maybe you just 32 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 1: look through your wedding album and realized you haven't connected 33 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: with an old friend in more than a year. Time 34 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: to add them to the list as well as for 35 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: what this connection looks like, it might be helpful to 36 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: make a note of this on your to love list. 37 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: For a local friend, you might suggest getting together for 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: lunch or going for a walk. If you are connecting 39 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: because she's having a really rough week, maybe you decide 40 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: to drop cookies off at her house. A far flung 41 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: relative might get a phone call or card. An older 42 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: kid might get a special Starbucks run that's a perennial 43 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: favorite at my house, or you go visit them first 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: in the nightly lights off roundup see you get some 45 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: extra time together. As with so many things in our lives, 46 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: a little intentionality and planning about whom we want to 47 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: love this week can go a long way toward making 48 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: our hopes into reality. We may love people all the time, 49 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: but actually putting them on the too Love list allows 50 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: both them and us to feel it. In the meantime, 51 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 53 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 54 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 55 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 56 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 57 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.