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 pursue your goals with a group

so you can encourage each other and maintain motivation even when it's tempting to give up.

So you probably know from experience that long-term goals like running a marathon, quitting smoking, or learning a new

language are easier when you're part of a community aiming for the same thing.

There are a few reasons for this.

First, the social aspect makes your goal-directed behavior more fun.

My 10-mile runs with my running buddy go quicker than 10-mile runs done by myself.

Frugal living communities share tips, barter skills, and pass along hand-me-downs.

That can make these behaviors seem less like sacrifices and more

like cool things that you do with friends. Second, group activities tend to involve

scheduling. You don't just randomly show up somewhere

to practice French with a group of people.

They all have to get together at a certain time.

That's obvious, but it's also a major plus where goals are concerned.

Designating time on your schedule for a goal vastly increases the chances that you devote time to that goal. Recurring meetings amount to

recurring deadlines for making progress. And of course there is the

accountability aspect.

Your running group might text to see where you are,

...