WEBVTT - Second Cup: Do what you loved as a kid 

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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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 ask yourself what you loved doing

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<v Speaker 1>as a child. The point is not so much to

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<v Speaker 1>find your next career move, though that could be an option,

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<v Speaker 1>but mostly it's to make your leisure time feel more fulfilling.

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<v Speaker 1>Adults love to ask children what they want to be

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<v Speaker 1>when they grow up, and many kids have a ready answer.

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<v Speaker 1>They proudly announced that they plan to be writers, or

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<v Speaker 1>doctors or princesses without any self consciousness. Then we grow

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<v Speaker 1>older and we discover that there aren't so many job

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<v Speaker 1>openings for princesses, and we find ourselves pursuing completely different

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<v Speaker 1>career paths. There's nothing wrong with this. Kids have no

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<v Speaker 1>idea about the scope of careers in the world, or

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<v Speaker 1>about how to find the intersection between skills, interests and

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<v Speaker 1>what is economically viable. But leisure time pursuits have no

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<v Speaker 1>such constraints. As the past few months of lockdowns have

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<v Speaker 1>forced people to reconsider how they spend their time, there's

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<v Speaker 1>something to be said for looking to the past for ideas.

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<v Speaker 1>Chances are that at least some of the activities who

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<v Speaker 1>loved as a kid might bring a smile to your

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<v Speaker 1>face now, So set aside a few minutes this week,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe during a break at work, to think about how

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<v Speaker 1>you used to spend your time when you had a

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<v Speaker 1>free saturday as a child. What did you do with it?

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<v Speaker 1>What kind of books did you read, or toys or

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<v Speaker 1>games did you enjoy. You might look at old photos

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<v Speaker 1>to conjure up memories, talk to parents, siblings, or childhood

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<v Speaker 1>friends to surface other ideas. Maybe certain objects brought you

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<v Speaker 1>great happiness or certain pursuits. Jot down words and phrases

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<v Speaker 1>that come to mind. Now look at what you've written down,

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<v Speaker 1>and consider how some of the interests or activities could

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<v Speaker 1>be pivoted into your adult life. If you're actually looking

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<v Speaker 1>to figure out your next career move, this can take

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<v Speaker 1>a good deal of creativity. No one is likely to

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<v Speaker 1>pay you to play in a sandbox unless you work

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<v Speaker 1>at a daycare, but there may be other ways to

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<v Speaker 1>incorporate your interests, either as side hustles or just for

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<v Speaker 1>the fun of it. If you have happy memories of

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<v Speaker 1>playing school with your friends, you might enjoy teaching an

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<v Speaker 1>online course or volunteering in a literacy program. If you

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<v Speaker 1>loved exploring on your bike but haven't done this in

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<v Speaker 1>a while, it might be worth buying a bike from

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<v Speaker 1>a neighbor and building some rides into your life. I've

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<v Speaker 1>realized that one reason I like occasionally writing articles on

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<v Speaker 1>random topics is that I loved earning Girl Scout badges

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<v Speaker 1>as a kid. I learned just enough about a topic

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<v Speaker 1>to feel a sense of accomplishment, and then I'd move on.

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<v Speaker 1>Thinking about your childhood joys can be a helpful exercise

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<v Speaker 1>even if you aren't looking to do anything particularly productive.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe you have fond memories of waking up early on

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday mornings to watch cartoons all by yourself. You might

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<v Speaker 1>enjoy building a version of this into your life now

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<v Speaker 1>by waking up an hour before the rest of your

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<v Speaker 1>family to do something totally for you, whether that's watching

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<v Speaker 1>cartoons or reading a book or doing a puzzle. So

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<v Speaker 1>if you're feeling stuck board or just in search of

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<v Speaker 1>a way to enjoy time more, take some time to

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<v Speaker 1>consider what brought you happiness as a child. Then think

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<v Speaker 1>flexibly and with an open mind about how these joys

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<v Speaker 1>could fit into your adult life. You'll probably start to

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<v Speaker 1>smile just thinking about it. 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>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast to pod that's B the number four, then

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<v Speaker 1>breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an

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<v Speaker 1>email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot

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<v Speaker 1>com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For

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