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.

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

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.