Today's Challenge

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Personal Transformation books

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is transform. I mentioned the book, The Experience Economy, recently, and I’ve been listening to their updated version. The authors expand on all of the topics, but I was particularly interested to hear more about transformational businesses. They save that section until the end of the book, because they see transformation as the ultimate offering. Without knowing their principles, I’ve been working toward creating experience offerings. Along the way, my question has constantly been, “Where do you go to learn new skills, ideas, and practices?” Essentially, where do you go to be transformed? I’d love to hear your answer via a comment in your podcast app.

Today’s concrete challenge is to find a transformational book. I’ve included a best-sellers list from Amazon’s Personal Transformation section in the show notes. Real transformation comes from practice, so plan to practice at least one idea from the book. Transformation can be slow, but it starts with a new approach.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will get a transformational book today.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who seeks out transformation.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is age. There are certainly advantages to being young. I remember one particular Saturday morning when I was probably less than 10 years old. I woke up rested and stopped to appreciate that nothing in my body ached. I was completely comfortable. That might have been the last time that I couldn’t identify some point of discomfort in my body, because age seems to lend itself to accumulating pains. Age also contains the possibility of wisdom. I remember my senior high school English teacher telling us that the best part of being older is knowing what you are and are not adept at or interested in. I think she was saying that you find out where to put your efforts.

Today’s concrete challenge is to put some effort into a task that you love. We have a new puzzle going that I really want to work on. If you don’t have time to work on your choice activity now, write down what it is and a time today that you will do it. We have a limited amount of time on Earth. Let’s enjoy the perks of age.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will either do it now or write what it is and when I will do it.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who gets better with age.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is protest. That word feels scary to me, maybe just because I haven’t done it. My wife is way more brave in this area and has attended rallies for social justice in our area and neighboring cities. It’s strange that unrest is often necessary to bring about a greater peace and understanding. I guess the opposite would be lying down and letting the powers decide your rights.

Today’s concrete challenge is to protest. This can be for yourself or for marginalized groups that often go unconsidered. Several websites make this fairly easy. Go to Change.org to find causes you care about, or contact your local representatives by searching house.gov, commoncause.org, or openstates.org.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will stand up for myself and others right now.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who speaks out against injustice.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is family. This is my third attempt at starting this writing because family can be a complicated topic. Let’s keep it simple, though. Who are the people that you want to surround yourself with? I like how modern media often conveys the message that family has a flexible definition. Family should make you feel safe and cared for. Family should be the people that you would struggle to come back to. If that happens to be your biological family, that’s great! If not, find some people that feel like family.

Today’s concrete challenge is to appreciate the people that feel like family. Write or record a short note to the people you love. It’s easy to underappreciate the people that surround us because of habituation and hedonic adaptation. Work against these mental forces by posting or sending your note now.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will create my note and send it now.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who appreciates those closest to me.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is ephemeral. I’ve liked this word ever since I learned it in high school, but it also makes me a little sad. As you age, you realize that every event is short lived. You look forward to a weekend get-together or a relaxing evening, and it’s gone so quickly. In their book, The Power of Moments, authors Chip and Dan Heath argue that lasting memories can be intentionally constructed as a way to crystallize more experiences. What are some touchstone events in your life? The Heath brothers would bet that each of them include one or more of the following: elevation, insight, pride, and connection.

Today’s concrete challenge is to fight ephemerality by crafting a memorable experience. Don’t get overwhelmed by the possibilities. Focus on including more sensory elements at your next special occasion. Heighten the sights, sounds, and scents to turn an ordinary day into a significant one. You can do this.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will begin crafting one memorable experience.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who creates memorable moments.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is wonder. I remember the first time I had my mind blown. I was maybe four or five years old and trying to fall asleep. I guess we had recently talked about how God has always existed at church, because I remember trying to process how old that makes God. My little mind started spinning in circles. What was before God? God was before God. It was a moment of wonder. I like how wonder can be both a state and an action. What do you wonder about? What are some topics that make your mind spin? If none come to mind, you likely need LESS concreteness in your life. The 2015 film, The Little Prince, depicts a life of literal concrete and order. It’s juxtaposed with the pilot’s existence, which includes grass, trees, dreams, and wonder. If you haven’t seen it, please put it on your list.

Today’s concrete challenge is to find a sense of wonder. A great place to look is NASA’s Image of the Day. If you prefer audio, check out NASA’s From Space to Sound. Wherever you find wonder, pull it up now and revel for a little while.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will look for and enjoy a sense of wonder today.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who looks for wonder.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is repetitive, and we’re salvaging this oft-maligned word [construction sounds + angels]. Many people identified strongly with the film Groundhog Day during 2020 because each day felt like a carbon copy of the previous day. What is it about repetition that drives us crazy? I think it’s the lack of control. Few people would put hotel cleaner on the top of their desired jobs list, but it’s an excellent option if you want to exercise while working. In a famous study, researchers at Harvard simply let hotel staff know how many calories they were burning while working. This information prompted the staff to increase their effort during, what most would consider, mind-numbing, repetitive tasks. I believe these hotel cleaners sensed some control over how many calories they were burning and leveraged repetition. You probably do the same when you’re engrossed in an activity. You’ll search for piece after piece when you’re enjoying a puzzle or pad across endless miles when jogging or hiking. I’ve enjoyed getting better at salad building and kitchen cleaning over the past year because both make me feel that I contribute in our home.

Today’s concrete challenge is to look for the opportunity in repetition. Write down an activity you’d like to perform better and then list the advantages of increasing your skill.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will write a desired activity and leverage repetition to learn it.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who leverages repetition.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

References:

Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is observe. Now, I’m certainly not the most observant person. I had a random memory today of noticing a fairly obvious attribute of a friend about 8 years later than I should have. After elementary, middle, and half of high school, I saw that one of my friend’s ears was partially folded down. I asked him if it happened recently, and he said it was as recent as his birth.

Today’s concrete challenge is to stop and notice. Right now, you’re probably surrounded by a familiar environment, but if you’re not, that could make this activity even more rich. Take at least 60 seconds to stop and notice something new. It could be the sounds, sights, scents, or any other sensory information. Observe your environment and find something new, even if you’ve been in this scene a thousand times before.

Use the next few minutes of this podcast to stop and notice. I’ll keep the music playing while you do, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who is able to stop and observe.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Beck Anxiety Inventory

Penn State Worry Questionnaire

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is anxiety. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced persistent anxiety, but it can manifest in scary ways. During the pandemic of 2020, the stresses of trying to stay away from the virus and, at the same time, having to stay away from friends and family slowly built to a boiling point close to the end of the year. Driving anywhere became a trigger for labored breathing. It was weird. I read Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Happiness Hypothesis, around this time, and he mentions that uncontrollable anxiety is treatable in only three research-proven ways: medication, meditation, and Cognitive Therapy. We took action to lessen the anxiety in our house, and 2021 has been much better.

Today’s concrete challenge is to take the Beck Anxiety Inventory and/or the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. The Anxiety Inventory focuses on physical symptoms, where the Worry Questionnaire deals more with mental state. Both of these will give you some idea of your level of anxiety. Links are found in the show notes.

Use the next few minutes of this podcast to try out the questionnaires. I’ll keep the music playing while you do, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who takes care of myself mentally.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is flow. How’s your relationship with time? Do you feel like hours drag along, or do you wish there were more hours in the day? It’s weird that our perception of time is so affected by our mental state, but what isn’t affected by our mental state? I was recently working on a slideshow presentation that I was going to use to host a game night on Zoom, and it was one of those times that you glance at the clock and realize way more time has passed than you had guessed. When that happens, it’s a good indication that you were in a state of flow, where you are completely engrossed in an activity. It’s difficult to predict the activities you’ll get lost in, but you can increase the chances by doing the following:

• Get rid of distractions (if possible, turn off notifications on your devices)
• Work on one thing at a time

Today’s concrete challenge is to focus on one activity at a time. If you’re doing desk work, you might want to try ambient music or ocean waves. Neither of these will require enough attention to distract you from your focus. Try single-tasking now to find out if it lends itself to a flow state. Put your devices in Do Not Disturb mode to increase chances of staying in the zone.

I’ll keep the music playing while you do, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who can focus and find flow.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

References:

How To Reach Flow State (Using 10 Flow State 'Triggers') | by Jari Roomer | Personal Growth Lab