Plan B is Plan A with water

Don't let minor annoyances keep you from your intentions

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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 not be deterred from what you
want to do because of little annoyances. Don't turn minor

(00:23):
irritations into an excuse not to do something of major
importance or enjoyment for you. Even if things aren't perfect,
you can carry on anyway. I've heard a great story
about a camp counselor who used to tell his campers
about the plans for the day. That's Plan A, he
would say. Then he'd continue, If it rains, will opt

(00:47):
for Plan B, which he would explain was Plan A
with water. I love that when there's something special planned,
we can go for it, even if an unexpected and
anoyance like rain becomes part of the experience. Plan B
it's just Plan A with water. It's easy to get

(01:09):
dissuaded from goals you want to pursue, habits you want
to maintain, or fun you want to have because of
annoying external factors. You know the weather, traffic, long lines, paperwork,
and so forth. You can probably identify the particular little
frustrations that are most likely to make you abandon your intentions.

(01:29):
But when you give up on doing something you wanted
to do because of an annoyance, you miss out. Perhaps
you don't go for a run because it's sprinkling, or
you don't ride your favorite roller coaster because there's a line,
or you don't do it get together because it's a
long drive. Yes, you have successfully avoided the irritation of
getting rained on waiting in line or driving a long way,

(01:50):
but you're also missing out on the fun of the
run or the roller coaster or they get together. Don't
abandon the plan A you're looking forward to be because
of a little frustration. Just go with Plan B, which
is Plan A with the minor frustration baked in. Of course,
we can do what we can to mitigate these external annoyances.

(02:13):
For instance, good rain gear makes outdoor time more pleasant
or at least tolerable, even when the weather isn't great.
Long lines are heavy traffic can sometimes be avoided by
visiting places at off peak times. Not all annoyances can
be avoided those, so it's also helpful to maintain an
attitude of resilience to enjoy the Plan A you are

(02:34):
looking forward to, even if it comes with something you
weren't looking forward to. For instance, if your kids want
to play on the basketball team, but they're required to
play in masks and get tested for COVID every week,
will encourage them to play on the basketball team anyway.
If you love taking your family to the drive through
winter lights display at a local park, but there's a
ridiculously long line, go anyway. Thirty minutes sitting in your

(02:57):
car singing along to the radio while you wait, Really
no big deal, and the weight is no reason to
give up on seeing the lights you were looking forward to.
If you've heard about an organization that offers great video
Spanish lessons, but signing up requires creating Skype and PayPal
accounts and filling out online forms, well, sign up anyway.

(03:19):
Thirty minutes of tedious clerical work will pave the way
for hours of learning. The key message is that plan
B should not be giving up. It can just be
Plan A with water. Plan A is driving to that
great vacation spot with a happy toddler. Plan B is

(03:39):
driving there within unhappy toddler. But you'll get where you're
going anyway. 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. You can

(04:01):
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, then Breakfast
p o D. You can also shoot me an email
at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com
that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(04:24):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
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