Today's Challenge Concrete Wins

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is brush. I’ve found that delaying brushing my teeth at night can create a cycle of excuses. I think to myself, “Well, I haven’t brushed yet, so I can have a snack.” and “Just one more episode won’t hurt; I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.” The simple fact that I haven’t done one of the final activities of the day means that I have one more excuse for staying up. I recently started brushing with my daughter in the early evening, and it’s a great way to make myself put a cap on snacking, model healthy behaviors, and rid myself of the excuse.
Today’s concrete challenge is to brush early. I think you’ll find that it feels great to put that one task behind you long before you start to get sleepy.
If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will brush early today.” You can also set a reminder to brush in your phone. Try to set it for the time you usually start winding down.
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 thinks ahead.”
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.


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is desire. Do you pay attention to your desires? Do you ever try to fight them? The word desire itself is a little bit loaded, hinting at sexual desire, but it can be more than that. Your desires should guide you toward fulfillment. I’ve been watching a show after my wife goes to sleep about neurobiology. I know… risque. The thing that strikes me, though, is that our desires exist on different levels, even physically. Our amygdala desires to keep us safe. Our thalamus and hypothalamus desire sleep and food. Our hippocampus desires organized memories. All of these mental pulls are regulated by the outer parts of the brain, and that gives us the strange ability to be divided against one’s self. Meditation is one of the best ways to harmonize these different brain areas by actually changing their shape and interplay. This is not just another pitch to meditate, though. It’s a plea to cut through the layers of desire to figure out why you’re here, inside this moment of your life. In his book, The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey says that we all have a unique voice, and we all have the ability to help others find theirs.
Today’s concrete challenge is to look at the intersection of your talents, needs, conscience, and passion. When you picture yourself, what do you find in the middle of those areas? Go ahead and write down some thoughts.
If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will search for the intersection of my talent, needs, conscience, and passion.”
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 can help myself and 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:
What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do to Your Brain?
Neuroscience: Understanding the Brain
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is invest. My brother got me into playing with cryptocurrencies over the past month, and I have to admit that it’s fun. It feels like playing a board game with real money where you try out different strategies to find what works. One of my investments recently started to decline, and it sent me into a small mental panic. I started evaluating all of our long-term investments in my mind to make sure that we were okay financially. This was a little ridiculous because I was playing with $100 in crypto, so that’s the most I could potentially lose. It did make me feel better, though, to know that my family has better investments than volatile cryptocurrencies. If you haven’t invested in a reliable form of long-term savings, today is your opportunity. Your future self will pat your past self on its past back. Wait, future back? You get it, right? Even if you’re 15 years old (and maybe especially if you’re 15), investing is a great idea.
Today’s concrete challenge is to ratchet up your long-term investments. If you’ve never started an account, search for a mutual fund or an index fund where you can consistently sink $100 a month. If you’re 15, you could have a million dollars in that account by the time you’re 50 or two million by 55. That’s the power of compound interest. If you have a 401k or IRA at work, make sure you’re enrolled in a program that automatically increases your investment percentage each year.
If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will start a new investment or increase my current investments now.” Go ahead and add just a little bit. I’ve never regretted adding to a long-term investment.
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 invests in my future.”
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.


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is prototype. I’m sure that you’ve probably had an idea for a physical product or app. How far did you take the idea? I’m guessing that the amount of decent product ideas that never get realized is nearly all of them. It’s really difficult to create something that’s usable, not even considering if people would actually want to use it. When I’ve tried to create products, I’m usually focused on the prototype. I want to know if I can create the thing. Here are some tools and websites that I’ve found super helpful in the pursuit of prototyping:
Glideapps.com allowed me to not only mock up an app design, but it was also a usable prototype that facilitated my first group interactions.
Tinkercad.com helped me to create simple 3D models that could be downloaded and fed into a 3D printer to bring ideas into the physical world.
TheGameCrafter.com gave me the ability to create decks of cards and custom game pieces.
I’m sure there are thousands of other incredible creator tools out there.
Today’s concrete challenge is to explore the possibility of prototyping your idea. Consider asking a friend for help, because it’s truly fun to create together.
If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will research tools and/or ask a friend for help.”
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 can create a prototype.”
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.


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is tools. I’ve learned over years of repairing things that the right tools can make a huge difference. If you’ve ever worked on a car, you’ve probably found that there are some nuts and bolts that you just cannot remove without the correct tool. I was trying to repair a leak under the roof rack of our car yesterday, and it looked so easy in the video. When I gathered my tools, I found that I didn’t have a large enough star bit to use my drill. I had a choice. Stop the task or improvise. Another thing I’ve learned about tools is that they can be an excuse. Here are some things we tell ourselves:
“I can’t record until I have a professional setup.”
“I can’t invest until I’ve taken a course.”
“I can’t start my business until I have an MBA.”
A couple days ago, I mentioned that Jon Acuff calls these secret rules, and they have the power to stop any potential progress. Yesterday, I found that an Allen wrench worked just fine as a substitute, even though it was a little more difficult. Don’t let the lack of professional tools stop you from moving forward. Instead, improvise with the tools that you already have and pick up better tools and practices along the way.
Today’s concrete challenge is to identify what you want to do and one tool that can help you succeed.
I’ll keep the music playing while you complete the following phrases, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.
I want to _____.
I can use _____ to do it.
Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who doesn’t let tools act as an excuse.”
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.


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations

Full transcript here 👋
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.
The word for today is rules. We’ve set up a whole system in our house that relies on kids asking permission to do some pretty basic things, and I wish we didn’t have to live with so many rules. We’ve tried simplifying house rules to some basics like the Golden Rule, but that doesn’t help much when your kids won’t just stay seated at the table. Setting expectations and giving consequences seems to be the most effective way to manage behaviors, but when does management become unnecessary? Ha, you can probably tell that we are in the thick of raising kids, because I can’t tell which way is up.
Today’s concrete challenge is to question your rules. These might be household rules, but it’s also possible you have what Jon Acuff calls secret rules. Have you ever thought, “It’s cheating to ask for help.” or “My kids need me to do everything for them.”? Consider revising your rules right now.
I’ll keep the music playing while you fill in the blanks of the following phrases, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.
A rule I’d like to change is _____. My new rule is _____.
Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who can question the rules that I set for myself and 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.


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/today/donations