WEBVTT - Even long journeys have an end

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my 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 that even long journeys have an end.

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<v Speaker 1>When you make a reasonable plan and stick with the plan,

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<v Speaker 1>there is a good chance that you will finish. Time

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<v Speaker 1>passes one way or another, so the length of the

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<v Speaker 1>journey doesn't need to intimidate you at the start. Over

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<v Speaker 1>the past year, I embarked on a number of long projects.

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<v Speaker 1>I committed to reading all three hundred sixty some chapters

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<v Speaker 1>of War and Peace at a rate of one chapter

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<v Speaker 1>per day. My family embarked on a total renovation of

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<v Speaker 1>a historic house that we purchased. I undertook an eleven

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<v Speaker 1>week time perception and satisfaction study with hundreds of participants,

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<v Speaker 1>and then wrote up the results for a book that

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<v Speaker 1>will be based on that study. All of these things

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<v Speaker 1>got going in January. All of these things were roughly

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<v Speaker 1>year long undertakings. The year is now ending, and all

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<v Speaker 1>of them are nearing completion. On some level. This isn't surprising.

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<v Speaker 1>Time keeps passing, so something that starts in January and

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<v Speaker 1>takes a year will in fact end in December, And

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<v Speaker 1>yet it feels a little miraculous, all the same that

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<v Speaker 1>a long march does in fact come closer to completion

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<v Speaker 1>with every step. If you read roughly four pages a

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<v Speaker 1>day in a page book, then once you are north

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<v Speaker 1>of three days, the end will be in sight. When

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<v Speaker 1>there is a construction schedule with space for delays, and

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<v Speaker 1>it is observed the countertops will go in during November

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<v Speaker 1>and the carpet in December. The reason this matters is

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<v Speaker 1>that many long journeys look intimidating at the outset. We

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<v Speaker 1>have all heard the phrase that a journey of a

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<v Speaker 1>thousand miles starts with a single step. But it's not

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<v Speaker 1>actually that first step that's the issue. That first step

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<v Speaker 1>we can take. We have plenty of motivation. First step one.

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<v Speaker 1>It's knowing that there will be two million steps in

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<v Speaker 1>that one tho mile journey, and that you will have

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<v Speaker 1>to take these three hundred thousand step and the one

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<v Speaker 1>million two thousand steps and so forth. That realization can

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<v Speaker 1>make you want to just lie down. But here's the thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Most of us walk at least five thousand steps or

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<v Speaker 1>so a day. Anyway, walking a thousand miles over the

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<v Speaker 1>course of a year would mean taking just a few

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<v Speaker 1>extra steps with a purpose. If there was a plan

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<v Speaker 1>with a larger project broken into smaller steps, with buffers

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<v Speaker 1>and a system for accountability, no one day would be overwhelming. Indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>most days would feel quite doable. All you have to

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<v Speaker 1>do is just keep going, so it is with any

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<v Speaker 1>big project. Time will pass anyway. If you spend your

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<v Speaker 1>time in purposeful ways, with structured progress toward your goals,

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<v Speaker 1>then most likely you will reach your destination. Even long

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<v Speaker 1>journeys have ends. That fifteen hour Plaine flight, eventually fifteen

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<v Speaker 1>hours will be over. You will be at your destination.

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<v Speaker 1>And likewise, I am winding into those last one pages

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<v Speaker 1>of war and Peace and hiring the movers and choosing

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<v Speaker 1>book covers. Since these are things I wanted to do.

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<v Speaker 1>It would have been a mistake last January to decide

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<v Speaker 1>not to do them because they would take a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>The time would eventually be in the past one way

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<v Speaker 1>or the other. Far better to end where you wish

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<v Speaker 1>to be than not. 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>Before Breakfast pod. That's b E 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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