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 ideas. One of my favorite activities in the world is synthesizing ideas. A few years back, my friends and I worked on creating board games, and it was exhilarating to problem solve all of the issues that came up. You never know when a great idea will strike, though. I find that a lot of ideas come to me while I am out running in the morning and listening to an inspiring audiobook or podcast, so I need an idea capture system that can work hands-free, at any time. Here’s what you can do to set something similar up:

1. Add yourself as a contact in your phone and add your home and work email addresses
2. Change your name to “me” on your contact card
3. Ask Siri or Google Assistant to “email ‘me’”
4. Dictate the email with enough detail that you remember the full idea later
5. Sort the idea emails later into documents

Today’s concrete challenge is to set up your idea capture system. It could be a pad of sticky notes and a pen that you always keep in your pocket or purse. You can also text or email yourself. Yes, great ideas mean nothing without follow-through, but it all starts with the idea.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will find a way to capture ideas 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 seizes a great idea .”

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 hopeless, and it’s going down with the ship [fog horn + bubbles]. Now, I can completely accept that some people don’t have control over their outlook. If it’s possible to have the kinds of experiences described in Oliver Sacks’s book, Hallucinations, then it’s equally possible to have your brain create a kind of hopelessness that feels very real and inescapable. According to positive psychologists, though, hope is yet another mental habit that can be enhanced through practice, and it is distinct from general optimism. Miceli & Castelfranch write, “Being hopeful is regarded as more realistic. The hopeful individual recognizes that life may not work out as planned, yet maintains positive expectancy directed toward possible outcomes that hold personal significance.” For the last month, we’ve included a phrase for you to repeat at the end of each episode. This simple practice of massaging your identity can help you to see hope where it was hidden before. If you feel the kind of pervasive hopelessness that interferes with your will to continue living, please get psychological help at 1-800-273-TALK.

Today’s concrete challenge is to repeat the soundtrack at the end of this episode. It’ll play right after this break.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who is able to see possibilities that are realistic, yet require me to stretch.”

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:

"Bubbling, Large, A.wav" by InspectorJ

Happiness, Hope, Optimism

Happiness & SWB What is Hope in Psychology + 7 Exercises & Worksheets

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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 individual. How important is individualism to you? If you live in the United States, you’re likely to hold individualistic beliefs whether you realize it or not. Check if any of these sound familiar:

• Dependence on others is looked down on (think of middle aged people living with their parents or low-income people relying on government subsidies)
• Independence is prioritized (look no further than the phrase f-you money and the lust people have for it)
• The rights of individuals take precedence (consider how the amendments to the U.S. constitution are often a platform for individuals)

I’m not trying to convince you that individualism is wrong, just that we all hold implicit values whether we realize it or not. The recent Addams Family film makes the opposite, collectivism, appear trite and even creepy in its portrayal of cookie cutter people who want you to assimilate. I’d argue, though, that any push for individualism needs a recognition that the group is still necessary and valuable. At the same time, we can widen our definition of the group to include more people.

Today’s concrete challenge is to write or say the following soundtrack: “Humans are people just like me. Nationality and race are just ideas, and I will not let them separate me from others.” Are you feeling cozy and assimilated yet?

I’ll keep the music playing while you consider the implications of these ideas, 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 widen my definition of us.”

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:

Individualistic Cultures and Behavior

The Addams Family (2019)

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is ready. Are you ever hesitant to start something that you know you should? Recording episodes of this podcast is difficult for me because conditions have to be right. There can’t be anyone in my house because their noise is distracting and would show up in the background of the audio. I’ve moved my recording stuff out to the backyard shed a few times, but mowing season has started. The most frustrating part of the equation happens when I realize that it’s a quiet moment, but I just don’t want to get everything set up. The key here is to have things ready, and I’m sure you can see how this generalizes to anything else where the setup detracts from your desire to do the activity. Exercise is a classic example, and I heard a tip from Steve Kamb in his book, Level Up Your Life, to just wear your workout clothes to bed.

Today’s concrete challenge is to have things ready. What is it that you’ve not wanted to do recently? Is it cleaning your bathroom, mopping, making a nutritious meal rather than snacking? I promise that when the bottle of cleaner is sitting out with a rag on the top, you’ll find it easier to start cleaning.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will move things into position 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 sets myself up for success.”

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:

Level Up Your Life: How to Unlock Adventure and Happiness by Becoming the Hero of Your Own Story by Steve Kamb

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is excuse. I took my daughter to school this week, and we heard people on the local radio station describe times that they’ve deceptively called out sick to work. It was fairly entertaining, but it brought to mind a situation from when I was maybe 19 years old. A friend had gotten me a ticket to see the band Weezer, and I had forgotten that I had agreed to help a guy hang cabinets on the same day as the show. I had a very clear decision. Ditch the work, which included leaving the guy trying to hang cabinets on his own, or follow through on my commitment. It was a little gut wrenching, but somehow my 19 year old self chose to forgo the Weezer show. I’ve still never seen them live, but I don’t regret the decision.

Today’s concrete challenge is to remove excuses. They are a coverup of the truth, and you’d only need them if you’re scared of the truth. You’re not, though. Excuses have become a social norm, but they leave people doubting your sincerity. When you tell someone that you cannot attend their event, just say, “I’m sorry; I can’t commit to that.”

If you want to commit to this practice, say the following phrase: “I will tell the truth 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 doesn’t use the crutch of excuses.”

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 story. There’s something magical about a good story. Steve Jobs told the Pixar group that he was jealous of their work because their stories would endure, while his work would eventually find its way to a landfill. Indeed, Pixar stories are some of the most enduring, but what makes a good story? I recently heard an interview with Pete Docter, and my takeaway from his explanation of their process was that great storytelling requires the same ingredients as any other quality product: collaboration and endurance. If you don’t consider yourself a good storyteller, it’s probably because you haven’t done much of it. If you do tell a lot of stories but you feel that your listeners aren’t interested, it may be time to collaborate with other storytellers in a storytelling course. You can improve at anything.

Today’s concrete challenge is to share the story of you. Think back and identify one moment of your life that you feel is hilarious, tragic, mysterious, or dramatic. Write down an outline of the event and try sharing it with a loved one through storytelling. It may feel scary, but I think you’ll enjoy the thrill of the challenge.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will share one of my life’s stories.”

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 shares myself with others.”

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:

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Pete Docter: (People I (Mostly) Admire, Ep. 21)

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is choice. Now that we’re hopefully reaching the end of the pandemic, I’m getting nervous. I can feel the social obligations creeping back in. For a long year, everyone had a respite from the feeling that you need to be on the move every single day. Some choice was removed from daily life, and I enjoyed that part of 2020. With vaccines being widespread, choice about where to go and when has returned to our home, but I plan on applying some of what I learned from the limits of the last year.

Today’s concrete challenge is to choose some days and times that you will be still. Think back on practices that have become important to you and your family this past year. Preserve down time or family time in order to remain stable in the ever-increasing busyness of life. It’s coming. I can feel it.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will choose some times of rest for myself and my family.”

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 sees the value of rest.”

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:

Maybe Social Media Isn’t Making Teens Depressed, After All. And Here’s What Likely Is.

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is tracking. I have a mixed relationship with my fitness tracker. I’ve had a Garmin wristband for over two years, but I’d be surprised if I’ve worn it half that time. While it’s interesting to see sleep patterns, heart rate info, and pace from runs, I think I struggle with what to do with that information. The most actionable is moving the pace of runs lower, but I think that’s where I end up abandoning the fitness band. I don’t want my goal of exercise to be an arbitrary number, and tracking performance data nudges me toward number goals.

Today’s concrete challenge is to consider your fitness goals and whether tracking will help you get there. Write down a tiny exercise habit that you have or want and then write a huge exercise goal next to it. One example is walking 10 minutes every day to running a 10k. A can help you get to B, and some people benefit greatly from tracking progress of the tiny habit. Some good apps for this are Coach.me and Strides.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will pair a small fitness habit with a large fitness goal and consider tracking.”

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 sees the connection between tiny habits and large goals.”

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 👋

11 Sites and Apps for Watching Documentaries Free Online 

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

The word for today is normal, and we’re going to have to chisel this one down to a useful size [chisel sound]. This word is tricky only because we humans are so subjective in our thinking that we believe our norms should apply to everyone else. Have you ever said, “Kids these days are so different.”? Every older generation thinks that kids should do what they did, but why is your childhood the baseline for normal? Kahneman and Tversky’s availability heuristic explains why we think our life experience is the definition of normal; normality is just whatever memories jump to mind. That’s your normal.

Today’s concrete challenge is to experience someone else’s normal. Documentaries provide a great way to see and hear other peoples’ lives. I recently watched a film about the Hadza people of East Africa, and it helped me appreciate their perspective and way of life. The trick of normality is to realize that other people’s strange life could just as easily be yours if you were born into their group.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will find one documentary to watch today, or I’ll set a time to watch 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 knows that my normal is not everyone’s normal.”

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:

Availability heuristic 

The Hadza: Last of the First (2014)

"Rock_Hammer_Chisel_01.wav" by dheming

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is voice. Do you feel heard? Do you have a place to speak your mind? Psychological safety is the idea that you should feel good about sharing your thoughts with others. It’s a key component to high performing teamwork, but it’s also vital in your personal relationships. Do people around you feel that they have psychological safety with you? Do they have a voice?

Today’s concrete challenge is to ask people in your life if they feel that they have psychological safety with you. Ask this question: “Do I make you feel like you can share your thoughts without fear of negative consequences?” It might feel a little awkward, but there are many areas of life that work better after a little awkwardness.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will ask them now or set a time to have this conversation.”

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 psychological safety.”

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.