1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that how often can matter more than 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: how much. Committing to doing things frequently may ultimately lead 5 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: to more success than committing a lot of time. We've 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: all heard the advice that goals need to be smart, specific, measurable, achievable, 7 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: all that good stuff, and I agree what we measure 8 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: is generally what we get done. So when we start 9 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: thinking of goals, we often try to attach numbers to them. 10 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: But numbers can take different forms, and you might be 11 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: better off focusing on how often you do something rather 12 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: than the extent of a given engagement. For instance, you 13 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: commit to meditating daily rather than meditating for ten minutes 14 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: at a time. There's a simple reason for this. Emphasizing 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: how often we engage in a desired behavior helps us 16 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: form the habit of actually doing it. We might be 17 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: able to stick with a frequency more easily than with 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: a set duration or target, so we're more likely to 19 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: continue the habit even when life is challenging. Running streaks 20 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: provide a great example of this. A streak is more 21 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: about how often, namely daily, than how much. Streakers almost 22 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: universally set a low threshold amount, such as one mile, 23 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: to count as that daily run, and for a regular runner, 24 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: a mile is really not that much. Most runners can 25 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: do that in ten minutes or so, and so the 26 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: mild target is more to ensure the frequency. If you 27 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: commit to running a mile every day, then every day 28 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: some running will happen. The runner will put his or 29 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: her shoes on and run. Whether it's raining, or they're 30 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: out of town or under the weather, or spending the 31 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: holidays with extended family, they can run that mile. I 32 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: know from personal experience that you can run that mile 33 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: by doing laps around your basement or small hotel room 34 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: if you have to. It turns out that you can 35 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: even run a mile one day before giving birth. Ten 36 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: miles maybe not so much, but shuffling through one mile 37 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: is almost universally doable, and the daily frequency means that 38 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: the habit is straightforward. The question is not whether to 39 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: run but when. Likewise, if you aim to read every day, 40 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: you may read more books in a year than if 41 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: you set a goal like reading a hundred pages per 42 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: week or two books per month. If it gets to 43 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: be Friday and you haven't read anything for your weekly 44 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: goal or the last day of the month, and you 45 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: haven't read much towards your monthly goal, you may be 46 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: tempted to just abandon the goal altogether. After all, you 47 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: are unlikely to read two books in a day, But 48 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: if you commit to just opening up your book every day, 49 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: you will probably end up reading a hundred pages or 50 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: more every week. And two books are more every month 51 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: because you'll get into the books simply by visiting them frequently. 52 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: When you focus on how often, the how much will 53 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: take care of itself. With many desired habits, daily is 54 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: a good frequency to aim for simply because it takes 55 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: the decision making process out of it. No need to 56 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: di there about whether today is the day or not. 57 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: It is always the day. Just do it. As the 58 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: old Nike slogan says that said, if daily seems impossible, 59 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: you might decide that if you didn't do something yesterday, 60 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: you will definitely do it today. For example, you could 61 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: aim to do yoga or stretch every night before bed. 62 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: If you did do yoga or stretch last night, great, 63 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: your default is still to do it tonight too. But 64 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: if you didn't do yoga last night, you will definitely 65 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: do it tonight. By focusing on how often we are 66 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: able to see the benefits or pleasure the behavior gives us, 67 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: without setting a how much goal that might be hard 68 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: to keep, we are well on the way to forming 69 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: a habit without any of the dread a how much 70 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: goal can inspire. As long as you do it, you're 71 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: good and progress is motivational. In the meantime, this is Laura. 72 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 73 00:04:54,480 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: our time. M hm. Hey everybody, I'd love to hear 74 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 75 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 76 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, 77 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: then breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 78 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. 79 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: That before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 80 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 81 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 82 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 83 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 84 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: favorite shows.