1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: tip is to resolve to take one night for you. 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: Committing to doing something regularly that is not work and 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: is not caring for family members will help make you 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: a happier person and may help make the new year 7 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: your best ever. In my most recent book, Tranquility by Tuesday, 8 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: I share nine of my favorite time management rules that 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: I think can help anyone make the most of their time. 10 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: These are rules that I find myself sharing over and 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: over again. At this point, I have lost track of 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: how many times I have told people that they really 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: need to take one night per week to do something interesting, 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, a hobby. Let me explain a lot of 15 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: adults lives look very similar. Day to day. People get up, 16 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: get the kids ready, go to work, collect their family. 17 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, eat, get the kids 18 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: to bed, then watch TV. It's all the same over 19 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: and over, and there's nothing wrong with this per se, 20 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: But multiple nights a week of it starts to get 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: a little tedious. People feel a little dissatisfied. They want 22 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: to spend more time on something interesting, but they're not 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: sure how it would work. Often people say they want 24 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: more me time, but then they choose flexible things like 25 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: reading more or taking bubble bats, convinced that it wouldn't 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: work for them to do anything more complicated. Now, I 27 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: am not saying you have to do something every night, 28 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: but maybe one night a week. Taking one night a 29 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: week for you still leaves six nights a week for 30 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: the normal rooms. Choose one night during the week to 31 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: do something that is not work and is not caring 32 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: for family. Ideally, this should be something outside your home 33 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: that involves a commitment to other people. You sing in 34 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: a choir or play in a band, play in a 35 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: softball league, run with friends, volunteer at a food bank 36 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: on a particular night. Here's why it should be a commitment. 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: As a responsible person, you will make a commitment happen. Sure, 38 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: flexible me time is great, but I can tell you 39 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: that your desire to read more or take more bubble 40 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: baths will bump up against someone else's desire for you 41 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: to do something different with the time. What are you 42 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: going to tell them Your bathtub isn't going anywhere. But 43 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: if you have choir practice at seven o'clock on Thursdays. 44 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: You have a better excuse, the practice will happen, You 45 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: will go, You will reap the benefits this more active 46 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: form of self care. Of course, this means you need 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: to choose something you truly enjoy. I love to sing, 48 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: which is why I am currently singing in two choirs. 49 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: I normally sing in at least one for a while. 50 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: I assume that, like me, everybody knew just what they'd 51 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: like to do, but I have since learned that this 52 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: isn't the case. Many grown ups don't actually know what 53 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: they like to do for fun. So if that is you, 54 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: you could resolve to spend the next three to six 55 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: months figuring this out, and then spend the next six 56 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: months of the year implementing it. Yes, it turns out 57 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: that fun takes work, but I imagine you can manage one 58 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: night a week. If you've got young kids, you can 59 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: trade off with a partner or a friend, a neighbor 60 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: or another relative and each of you gets one night off. 61 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: Or you could hire a babysitter, or even look for 62 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: opportunities where the kids are accounted for, like you run 63 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: with friends while your kid is out a gymnastics class. 64 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: But don't assume that it just can't work. Resolve to 65 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: take one night a week for you, and you will 66 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: start really looking forward to that night. It will become 67 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: a tent pole in your week with everything fitting around it. 68 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: You will start to change your story. Life isn't all 69 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: work and chores. You are the kind of person who 70 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: does fun things and that can make this next year 71 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: the best year ever. In the meantime, this is Laura. 72 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 73 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 74 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 75 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 76 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 77 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 78 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.