Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to use the upcoming time change as
Speaker 1: a prompt to do any task that you need to
Speaker 1: do roughly two times per year. The split isn't perfect,
Speaker 1: but since you have to address the time change as
Speaker 1: you change clocks, you may as well use that as
Speaker 1: a nudge to get to other things too. Today's tip
Speaker 1: comes from a listener named Ray, who noted that for me,
Speaker 1: changing the clocks is a prompt to do those periodic
Speaker 1: tasks where every six months is about the right schedule.
Speaker 1: It started with the local fire service ad campaign recommending
Speaker 1: that we check our smoke detectors are working whenever we
Speaker 1: spring forward or fall back. Such a great idea. I've
Speaker 1: since gone on to extend the principle. Now when I
Speaker 1: change the clocks, I check the smoke detectors, turn the mattress,
Speaker 1: wash the mattress protector, and either get the garden furniture
Speaker 1: out or put it away. Really, Ray says, the hat
Speaker 1: can be applied to anything that you want to do
Speaker 1: on a twice a year basis, and it eliminates that
Speaker 1: nagging sense of I should do that, When should I
Speaker 1: do that? When did I do that? For household jobs
Speaker 1: that aren't part of our usual weekly or monthly routine.
Speaker 1: I think this is a great idea. As the time
Speaker 1: change has moved a bit in the past few years,
Speaker 1: the dates when we spring forward and fall back are
Speaker 1: not perfectly six months apart. They're closer to four months
Speaker 1: apart in the US, though it's a little different elsewhere.
Speaker 1: But the point is that many of us forget to
Speaker 1: do these twice a year things until they become once
Speaker 1: a year things, or not at all a year of things.
Speaker 1: For instance, when did you last replace the batteries in
Speaker 1: your smoke detectors? When did you last turn your mattress.
Speaker 1: I'm guessing that a twice a year schedule that is
Speaker 1: not exactly six months apart might be better than a
Speaker 1: schedule that doesn't happen. So as we head into the
Speaker 1: time change this weekend in the US or over the
Speaker 1: next few weekends elsewhere, think about what activities you might
Speaker 1: be able to tie to the time change. What do
Speaker 1: you need to do a few times per year. You
Speaker 1: could use the time change as a queue for obviously
Speaker 1: seasonal stuff like taking in outdoor furniture, or moving summer
Speaker 1: in winter clothes in and out of storage. But it
Speaker 1: could also be a reminder to make your next dental appointment,
Speaker 1: do preventative car maintenance, or vacuum out the coils in
Speaker 1: your fridge. In any case, make a list and then
Speaker 1: put this on the calendar for the days around the time.
Speaker 1: Change as you do them this first time, pay attention
Speaker 1: when the time switches again, you'll know you have a
Speaker 1: list of things you plan to do, and you'll be
Speaker 1: more motivated to tackle them. In the case of changing
Speaker 1: the batteries and your smoke to tectors, that could be
Speaker 1: life saving. But even if we're just talking about moving
Speaker 1: your sweaters into the center of your closet or moving
Speaker 1: your outdoor chair cushions into the garage, it's good to
Speaker 1: do it before the situation gets desperate. Change the clocks,
Speaker 1: change other things too. It's really as simple as that.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. At before breakfast pod.
Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p O D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at iHeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, should
Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
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