Second Cup: Let 'Best of' lists guide you

spend less time mindlessly glued to screens. One way to do that, of course, is to spend less time on screens period. That is why one of my favorite time management rules is to do a little effortful fun before effortless fun, reading for a few minutes before heading over to Twitter, or working on that puzzle before turning on Netflix. Even if you still wind up binging something mediocre, at

least your leisure time will feel more balanced. But whether you do that or not, another way to achieve the same goal is to make your screen time more mindful and meaningful. One way to do that is with best of lists. Do a quick search online and you will instantly find lists of the best funny movies, the best feel good movies, the best documentaries, or the best movies

for the whole family. You can also find narrower categories like the best movies about Italy or the best movies about space, or very broad categories like the best movies of all time. Any of these can be a great starting point for your view, to say nothing of the annual best of lists like Oscar nominees and such. Of course, it's not just screens where best of lists can improve your enjoyment. Best of lists are great for books and

podcasts too. For books, check out winners of the Pulitzer Prize or the Booker Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature from past years, or search the internet for whatever sort of books you are looking for, the best graphic novels, the best coming of age novels, the best presidential biographies, or perhaps the best time management books. To be sure, any person compiling a best of list has their own tastes, and they might not match yours. Sometimes they have their

own biases and agendas. Not everyone who claims to be an expert truly is. But so what when we are talking about leisure screen time in particular. The stakes are pretty low. You don't have to watch everything on a list or read everything either. You just want a helpful starting place and to discover some stuff that might be cool. Maybe you will be taken with a certain actor and leave the best of list to watch more of his work.

Maybe you will mention that great Italy documentary from a best of list to a friend and get a recommendation of something that is truly up your alley from her. And if you do go straight through a best of list, remember that someone thought this stuff was the best on at least some dimension. You will probably have more hits than missus. When you use a best of list, you find out about options that somebody who is probably well informed, thinks many people will like, so there is a good

chance you will like it too. As an added bonus, best of lists let you be part of the conversation about what other people are finding interesting. So try printing up a few best of lists and saving them near wherever you choose your leisure pursuits. Then when you are considering how to spend your time, you've got expert guides at the ready, and probably your leisure time will start feeling more mindful 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 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 Pod. You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look

forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.