Counter program your life

The case for making the most of off-peak times

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to think about when everyone else does something,
and then find another time doing something at the opposite

(00:24):
time as everybody else. Lets you avoid crowds and get
more done. A lot of national public radio local affiliates
do what they call counter programming. After they set the
program schedule for their main radio station, they'll schedule opposite
programming on their other stations. So if they're playing classical
music on the main station, there might be news on

(00:46):
the other one, and vice versa. That way, if a
listener doesn't care about the main programming, the counter programming
might still work. You can counter program in your own
schedule too, do what you need to do in life
while everyone else is metaphorically on another station. By doing this,

(01:07):
you'll encounter smaller crowds end less waiting. If you're tackling
life maintenance tasks, they'll get done faster, and if you're
looking for fun, you'll find more of it with less sassle. So,
for instance, instead of working nine to five and commuting
during rush hour, see if you can work different hours

(01:27):
like seven to three or eleven to seven, and get
to and from work in half the time. You might
decide to grocery shop on Saturday night or Friday's before
work instead of weekend afternoons, when you'll be jostling carts
in front of the milk case. Take an early lunch,
and go to the gym at eleven am when it's

(01:49):
empty instead of before or after work when it's packed.
Because the children's museum is fullest on rainy days, visit
when it's sunny afore going outside to play in the sun.
Of course, call medical offices, airlines, and pretty much everyone
else anytime but Mondays at nine am or lunch hours,

(02:10):
because that's when everybody else is calling, and you will
be listening to hold music for what seems like forever.
You can counter program social events as well. Birthday parties
and play dates are much easier to schedule for Sunday
afternoons and evenings than Saturday afternoons. It won't take nearly
as long to find a Tuesday night when your friends
are free as it will to find a Friday night.

(02:33):
You probably already know when most people do things, but
if not, you can ask the people who work various
places for their advice. If you find yourself waiting in
long lines every time you go to the post office,
ask the clerk about the best time to mail packages.
The receptionist at your doctor's office can recommend the best

(02:53):
time to call about your lab results. And sometimes the
market works. If you notice that hotel prices and air
affairs are much lower for one week versus another, well
you've probably hit upon a break between the high season
and low season. Good to know. In any case, if
you have some control of your time, it's worth it

(03:15):
to try counter programming. By varying your timing just a
little bit from what's most popular, you'll spend less money
and avoid the crowds too. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

(03:41):
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four than
breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com That

(04:01):
before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters thanks
so much. I look forward to staying in touch. Before
Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more
podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.