80 - Precedent

Full transcript here 👋

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

The word for today is precedent. Have you ever wondered how a specific social norm or practice started? Like, who was the first person to clap when they were delighted? [caveman grunting and discovering clapping]

Everything in the world has a precedent, the first time that it happened. But precedents are more than that. I’ve seen a change happen with my wife’s family. In parting, we make sure to say we love each other, and it’s because of an intentional effort on her parents' part for the exchange to happen. Precedents are moments when something catches on and continues. Positive changes can happen in your relationships when you set precedents for positive actions. Apologizing can be a precedent. Asking if they want a back rub or taking a day off together can be a precedent. Simple actions precede compounding benefits.

Today’s concrete challenge is to determine one precedent you’d like to set in your relationship. Do you want to send one love note per day to your partner, buy snacks for your coworkers once a week?

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will write down and perform one precedent in a relationship.”

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 set a precedent and keep it going.”

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.

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