WEBVTT - Think checklist, rather than routine 

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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 think checklist, not routine. If you

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<v Speaker 1>are attracted to the concept of a morning routine but

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<v Speaker 1>you have a busy and unpredictable life, thinking of your

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<v Speaker 1>desires as a checklist rather than something that has to

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<v Speaker 1>happen on a strict schedule, can open up more possibilities.

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<v Speaker 1>When I describe my mornings, it is hard to get

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<v Speaker 1>around the unpredictability. The toddler wakes up at varying times,

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<v Speaker 1>and he wants to nurse when he does so, my

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<v Speaker 1>morning can start at five thirty or seven on weekdays.

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<v Speaker 1>The first hours are consumed with getting the big kids

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<v Speaker 1>ready and off to school. I also have a few

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<v Speaker 1>things I like to do in the morning. Every day,

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<v Speaker 1>since January one of this year, I have been doing

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<v Speaker 1>what I call my rituals. I read a chapter in

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<v Speaker 1>War and Peace, I write in my freewriting file, and

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<v Speaker 1>I do some strength training. None of this takes much time,

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<v Speaker 1>but I do these things every single day. I quickly

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<v Speaker 1>realized that if I insisted on them happening precisely at

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<v Speaker 1>seven am or something like that. This would be frustrating

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<v Speaker 1>for all involved, so I don't. Instead, I simply say

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<v Speaker 1>that they need to happen sometime, usually before mid morning.

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<v Speaker 1>I have a checklist for the morning, but I don't

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<v Speaker 1>have a strict time, and so I've been able to

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<v Speaker 1>stick with it. Perhaps you too, also have babies or toddlers,

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<v Speaker 1>or maybe you work shifts at your job and so

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<v Speaker 1>some days you're working overnight or some days you start

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<v Speaker 1>in the afternoon. Maybe you have a joint custody arrangement

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<v Speaker 1>so that some days are completely kid focused in some

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<v Speaker 1>days are completely not. Maybe you suffer from some sleep

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<v Speaker 1>issues that mean you need to give yourself grace on

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<v Speaker 1>the mornings when the nights have been tough. There are

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<v Speaker 1>all sorts of reasons that inflexible morning routines can't really happen,

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<v Speaker 1>but that doesn't mean that we can't make choices with

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<v Speaker 1>our mornings. If there are activities that you'd like to

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<v Speaker 1>incorporate regularly into your life, see if you can turn

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<v Speaker 1>them into more of a checklist unless of a routine.

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<v Speaker 1>If you say that at some point before ten am,

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<v Speaker 1>I will have moved my body around for at least

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<v Speaker 1>ten minutes. Well, I am guessing that you can make

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<v Speaker 1>that happen if you say that at some point before

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<v Speaker 1>ten am, I will have written in my journal for

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<v Speaker 1>five minutes, or meditated for five minutes, or prayed or

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<v Speaker 1>read a sacred text or anything along those lines. I

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<v Speaker 1>am betting that you can figure that out too. Is

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<v Speaker 1>it doing a triathlon at four am daily? Well? No,

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<v Speaker 1>but it doesn't need to be. And s what many

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<v Speaker 1>of those people claiming strict and elaborate morning routines don't

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<v Speaker 1>actually do them every single day either. Weekends and holidays

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<v Speaker 1>tend to look different, so they've got flexibility. You can

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<v Speaker 1>have flexibility to progress happens, whether it is strictly at

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<v Speaker 1>seven am or just any time before ten. The checklist

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<v Speaker 1>approach makes something like a morning routine possible in the meantime.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four,

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<v Speaker 1>then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com

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<v Speaker 1>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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