Today's Challenge

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

The word for today is why. Why is that the word today? Well, slow down and let me tell you. When you find the why behind your actions, you’ll know what motivates you and what doesn’t. It’s worth a little introspection to figure out what drives you. Lots of people are chasing money, popularity, and power because they haven’t stopped to ask themselves why.

Today’s concrete challenge is the practice of 5 why’s. I want you to think about a sticking point in your life and then ask why it’s difficult. For myself, I ask why I get angry as a parent, and the answer is that my kids sometimes do things that don’t make sense to me. Why do they do that? Because they have their own motivations. Why? Because they are trying to balance the pressures in their life. Why? Because they have outside pressures from parents and inner pressures of what they want. Why? Because they are doing the best they can. Why? Because they didn’t choose their life. This practice has led me to greater empathy toward my kids. Now, if I can just remember that in the moment, maybe everyone in this house will be a little less angry.

Let me know how your 5 why’s went 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 visualize. There’s power in visualization. I found it particularly helpful in college when I was freaking out about having to teach math and science lessons to first graders. A few hours before showtime, my mind would race through the steps and necessary supplies. This simple, anxiety-fueled practice made me more successful than my procrastination deserved.

Today’s concrete challenge is to visualize the process of one difficult activity in your life. Really, stop right now and picture in your eye’s mind that one thing that seems to trip you up every time. It could be getting your kids dressed in the morning, staying up too late at night, or any other recurring aspect of life that you’d like to change. Go ahead and mentally rehearse that activity; notice if there are any gaps where you could do things differently. Sometimes a small change can have big results.

Let me know if things went better for you today at concrete.win/today. 

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

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

The word for today is lazy, and we’re actually going to throw this word into the trash bin. Labeling yourself or someone else as lazy doesn’t benefit anyone. Often, what looks like laziness is that person being mentally overwhelmed by pressures that you can’t see and, frankly, don’t know anything about. If you’ve ever tried the 5 why’s exercise, you might have found that even your own motivations are somewhat hidden from your conscious self.

Today’s concrete challenge is to give someone the benefit of the doubt. In other words, assume good intentions with one person today. When you start to feel yourself getting angry or uncomfortable, remind yourself that the person has their own world that they’re dealing with. Go ahead and say, “When I start to feel upset (mumbled), I will tell myself that they are dealing with life the best they can (mumbled), and they’re not lazy or trying to hurt me (mumbled).”

Let me know how it went 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 gratitude. Gratitude is important because it reminds us that we are not the center of the universe. It has the power to reshape our worldview through a simple act of remembering the people and situations that have helped us.

Today’s concrete challenge is to thank one person that has helped you in the past. It could be someone that delivered your groceries this week or maybe your third grade teacher who refused to let you throw in the towel on multiplication. If you accept the challenge, take a minute to do it now or make a plan to do it at a specific time today. Go ahead and say, “After I fill-in-the-blank, I will send a message of gratitude.”

Let me know how it went at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is empathy. Empathy has two layers, sensing people’s emotions and predicting how those emotions make them feel. I don’t find either of those easy or natural, but the good news is that researchers believe that empathy is an ability that can be intentionally increased through practice.

Today’s concrete challenge is to identify someone’s emotions while you’re talking to them. You don’t have to announce, “I can tell that you’re upset,” but sometimes even this can be beneficial when you use it in an empathetic way. People often appreciate when you act as a mirror to their emotions through active listening or your body language.

Let me know how your emotional identification exercise went at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

References:

EMPATHY: a tool to enhance nonverbal communication between clinicians and their patients

How to cultivate empathy - Greater Good Science Center

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

The word for today is genuine. I’ve found that age helps me to be more genuine, but it’s not automatic. You have to be willing to stop being sarcastic and embrace others for who they are. It’s hard work.

Today’s concrete challenge is to give one genuine comment to someone around you. It can be a compliment, observation, or encouragement, but you will need to use your voice. No texting this time.

Let me know how it went at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

"I'm really glad that you're my son."

"I don't want to say anything... uh, hello?"

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

The word for today is noise. I’m sure that you’re familiar.

[gradually building background noise]

[spoken loudly over the noise] When you need some quiet today, listen to that impulse and take a break from the noise.

[deep inhale and exhale]

Today’s challenge is to turn off one (just one) notification on your phone. I highly recommend the little red bubble on your email saying you have 2,434 unread emails. I think you’ll find it easier to focus on your work and the people around you when you’re not distracted and overwhelmed. 

For both iOS and Android, go into the Settings app and look for Notifications to adjust the noise from your apps.

Let me know how much more free you feel today at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

References:

Turn off Android Notifications

Turn off iOS Notifications

Ambience, Large Crowd, A.wav by InspectorJ

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is connect. What does that word conjure in your mind? Take a few breaths and see what images come to you. Connect. If you picture an action for yourself, take that seriously today. Make some time for it.

Today’s challenge is to reach out to someone literally or figuratively. Let them know that you value your relationship. This could be in an email, text message, call, or touch (taking every pandemic precaution, of course).

Let me know how it went at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.