1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: tip is to be proactive in choosing your volunteer roles. 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: Don't find yourself volunteer to do something you are not 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: excited about and then find yourself looking for an opportunity 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: to quit. Instead, reflect on how you want to contribute, 7 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: then get intentional about finding a volunteer role that is 8 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: a great fit for you. I know of a woman 9 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: who has capable, energetic, and sociable, and so she often 10 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: gets asked to serve on boards and committees. She has 11 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: great ideas, people like her, isn't to the perfect candidate, 12 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: well not quite, as she puts it, I don't like meetings, 13 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: so she doesn't agree to volunteer in ways that involve 14 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: a lot of meetings. Well, I am sure some folks 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: would disagree with that philosophy. I get it, and I 16 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: think it is good to know yourself. A lot of 17 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: knowledge workers find themselves on nonprofit boards and committees, and 18 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: for many people that is a great way to contribute 19 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: their expertise. But if you too run meetings all day, 20 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: then perhaps you won't be quite as enthusiastic a volunteer 21 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: if you are dreading yet another meeting, so perhaps you 22 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: can volunteer in a different way that's more sustainable. As 23 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: I see it, volunteering can be a great way to 24 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: diversify your life. If you work in it for an 25 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: insurance company but love arranging flowers, why not volunteer at 26 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: your church to repurpose the flowers from Sunday services to 27 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: deliver to people going through a hard time. If you 28 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: work remotely at a desk all day long, you might 29 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: enjoy the interaction of being an usher at a local theater, 30 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: or the physicality of maintaining hiking trails for a state park. 31 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: Or maybe you teach preschool but are hoping to pivot 32 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: to graphic design, you could volunteer to design promotional materials 33 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: for a new nonprofit. This will add some variety to 34 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: your day and hone your new skills while helping an 35 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: organization you care about. I think of volunteering as somewhat 36 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: like electives for high schoolers. We should all have some 37 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: electives in our schedules, but choosing electives is an opportunity 38 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: to try different things and tap into different skills than 39 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: you use the rest of the day. I think a 40 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 1: lot of us wind up in volunteer roles because there's 41 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: a need and we're there. There's nothing wrong with that. 42 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: I volunteer in my kids' schools when they need me 43 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: or with their activities. But if you take the elective approach, 44 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: you might find a way to proactively add some more 45 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: interest to your life while also doing good. So think 46 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: about what you find interesting that's a little different from 47 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: your day job. Many of us lack the opportunity to 48 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: work with our hands. Or maybe you enjoy people but 49 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: work remotely. Or you're more introverted and work with people 50 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: all day. You might need something more silent. Maybe you 51 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: love animals but can't commit to actually taking care of 52 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: one as a member of the family right now. Maybe 53 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: you love music and used to perform, but now work 54 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: in something decidedly non musical. Maybe you enjoy the company 55 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: of children but mostly work with adults. There are all 56 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: sorts of interests that maybe passions that aren't our current 57 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: professional realities. Once you have figured out what interests you 58 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: and what skills you'd like to put to use, start 59 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: looking around for organizations in your community. Ask around with 60 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: your neighbors, colleagues or other parents at your kids' schools. 61 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 1: If you're a member of a house of worship, look 62 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: through their offerings and try different things. A one off 63 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: project might be just the thing to get you started. 64 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: Sometimes there are flyers at the local library, or if 65 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: you live near a university, there might be organizations and 66 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: projects publicized there. As you're choosing your volunteer opportunities, also 67 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: think about what will make it stick. For instance, would 68 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: you like to be able to volunteer with your kids, 69 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: or maybe you are looking to make friends. You might 70 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: be best off with something that allows you to work 71 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: alongside the same people each week, like doing a shift 72 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: at a soup kitchen or serving on a gala committee 73 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: for a museum. If you want to be outdoors or 74 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: out in the community, this is going to suggest different 75 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: things then if you are more of a climate controlled 76 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: kind of person. Now I realize that maybe the sound 77 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: a little wrong to be thinking of volunteering as being 78 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: an elective in one's life where interests in personal desires matter. 79 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: I mean, shouldn't we just help wherever the need is greatest? 80 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: But the truth is that the need is infinite. People 81 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: are more likely to stick with things and bring their 82 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: best selves to tasks when they enjoy what they are doing. 83 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: I do a lot of writing, so in general I 84 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: don't seek out things that involve writing in a volunteer capacity. 85 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: I have done it when asked, but I don't really 86 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: seek it out and look to do more of it. 87 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: Singing and being outdoors and seeing spaces get more orderly. 88 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: On the other hand, while those things are a bit different, 89 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: When you are proactive about your volunteer roles, you can 90 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 1: seek those out and then decline those for which you 91 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: are not a good fit. Then your volunteering can help 92 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: your community and be fulfilling for you too. In the meantime, 93 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 94 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:19,799 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 95 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 96 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 97 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 98 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 99 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.