WEBVTT - Second Cup: Plan a mini-adventure today

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to plan a mini adventure into your day.

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<v Speaker 1>A few years ago, I came across a great quote

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<v Speaker 1>from Alan Burdick in his book Why Time Flies. He

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<v Speaker 1>wrote that very often when we remark how did time

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<v Speaker 1>fly by so quickly, what's actually meant is some version

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<v Speaker 1>of I don't remember where the time went. Memories and

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<v Speaker 1>time are closely related. When time isn't memorable, we don't

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<v Speaker 1>remember it. When time is memorable, we do remember it,

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<v Speaker 1>and that can make us feel like we have more time.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw this relationship in action when I had nine

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<v Speaker 1>hundred busy people track their time for a day a

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<v Speaker 1>few years ago from my book Off the Clock. I

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<v Speaker 1>asked them questions about how they felt about their time.

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<v Speaker 1>I found that the people with the most abundant perspective

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<v Speaker 1>on time were highly likely to have done something very memorable.

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<v Speaker 1>On the March Monday, I had them track. One woman

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<v Speaker 1>went to salsa dancing lessons. Somebody else went to a

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<v Speaker 1>big band concert on a Monday night. Now this might

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<v Speaker 1>seem like a bit of a paradox that going to

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<v Speaker 1>a big band concert might make you feel like you

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<v Speaker 1>have more time. After all, Buying tickets creates something of

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<v Speaker 1>an obligation. You have to go do something rather than

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<v Speaker 1>just crash on the couch. So this should make you

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<v Speaker 1>feel like you have less time, right, But time isn't

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<v Speaker 1>that simple. Time moves at different paces depending on how

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<v Speaker 1>we interact with it. Our perception of any given length

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<v Speaker 1>of time is shaped by how many memories we have

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<v Speaker 1>of that length of time. This is why the first

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<v Speaker 1>day of a vacation somewhere exotics seems very long. Your

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<v Speaker 1>brain has no idea what it needs to remember, so

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<v Speaker 1>it's remembering all of it. More memories means more time.

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<v Speaker 1>An evening spent on the couch is an particularly memorable,

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<v Speaker 1>so we don't remember it. That time disappears as if

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<v Speaker 1>it doesn't exist. Too many days like this, and whole

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<v Speaker 1>years can disappear into memory sinkholes. Time ceases to be

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<v Speaker 1>a rich tapestry and feels more like a slick linoleum floor. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not feasible to go to big band concerts every night,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is possible to do something to make each

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<v Speaker 1>day memorable, so we're more likely to remember it. In

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<v Speaker 1>the Jewish tradition, before the passover meal, the youngest person

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<v Speaker 1>at the table asks why is tonight different from all

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<v Speaker 1>other nights? For passover, the answer is clear, it's a

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<v Speaker 1>holiday and you're celebrating a defining event and extended family history.

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<v Speaker 1>But you can ask this question of any day. Why

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<v Speaker 1>is today different from all other days? Indeed, let's ask

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<v Speaker 1>this for today. How is today going to be different

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<v Speaker 1>from other days? Take some time to think think about this.

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<v Speaker 1>What many adventure could you plan into today so that

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<v Speaker 1>today stands out in memory. Your adventure doesn't have to

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<v Speaker 1>be expensive or time consuming. You might grab lunch with

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<v Speaker 1>a new group of people from work. You might take

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<v Speaker 1>a walk through a nearby park to perk yourself up.

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<v Speaker 1>In the afternoon. You might stop at an intriguing store

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<v Speaker 1>you see as you walk back to your apartment. You

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<v Speaker 1>might catch a week night movie or take your kids

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<v Speaker 1>to a playground after dinner. Rather than going through the

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<v Speaker 1>usual march of bath and bed. But plan in some

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<v Speaker 1>little adventure, and as you're having your adventure, pause to

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<v Speaker 1>note that it's happening. Really, take everything in. This will

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<v Speaker 1>make your memories deeper, and really, in the end, memories

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<v Speaker 1>are all we have. In the meantime, this is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then

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<v Speaker 1>Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast Podcast. At iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch.