Complaining, Fitness Coaching, & Eric
Before we start, here’s a little recap on the January sleep challenge. Our buddy Jeff sent us a note after the last newsletter since he also has a WHOOP fitness tracker. In retrospect, it was likely just a set-up because he beat both Eric and I on the last 30 days of sleep performance. Yours truly came in dead last. Interestingly, I came in first on the average number of hours of sleep. Most of Jeff’s strain came from weight training and zone 2 cardio, whereas Eric’s was surfing (also lower cardio intensity). Almost all my strain came from indoor cycling which involves high intensity intervals, which created a greater sleep requirement. My takeaway was (a) damn it’s hard to get to bed on time and (b) this sleep stuff is really personal and based on all sorts of other things going on in your life. PS - I’m not really “wrestling”, but WHOOP picked up the roughhousing activity with my six-year-old monster.
Now that we’ve sunk our teeth into the new year, I can feel the fresh start turning into a soured outlook. I didn’t hit my sleep goals. I’m not keeping up at work. I’ve broken most my resolutions. Oh, and damn it’s cold. I’ve got a daily torrent of complaints, and those are just the ones I notice. Constant complaining is so culturally prevalent that it usually goes unnoticed and like a nasty cold, pessimism is contagious. For the month of February, the challenge is to be mindful of the words you use to either reinforce or diffuse your current thoughts and emotions. AKA, a complaint-free month. Many therapeutic approaches, including neuro-linguistic programing (NLP), have connected the process of language and its effects on behavior. By creating some space between a stimulus and the verbal response you have to it, you can actually change your whole experience. It takes the average person 4-10 months to hit a three week streak without complaining, but the impact on your net happiness and of those around you is well worth the effort.
The Nitty Gritty
Qualifying a Complaint: This challenge has been around for a long time in various forms and millions of people have participated. Will Bowen has built an entire foundation around the concept called "A Complaint Free World". His movement gives away purple rubber bracelets to wear during a 21 day challenge. Every time you complain, you switch the wrist you are wearing it on and start the 21 days over again. You can use your own bracelet, a watch or ring to achieve the same effect. This foundation has specific rules that qualify a complaint, but I personally like the spin that Tim Ferris put on it. If you identify a problem and then a viable solution, that is different than just incessant whining. If you were experiencing exceptionally bad service at a restaurant, a common complaint might be, "This waiter sucks and the food is cold. It doesn't even taste good. What a waste of money." An observation followed with a solution might be, "The service and food here are horrible. I'm going to talk to the manger after we eat and write a review online so that other people might avoid the same experience." How about screaming out F&*K! in a moment of frustration? Yes. That's complaining along with ranting criticisms. As a general rule of thumb, you usually know if you're complaining or not, so just be honest with yourself.
Being Mindful: The most valuable part of this challenge is simply shining the light of consciousness on your thoughts and actions. For most of us, there is very little buffer between action and reaction. Years of reinforced neurological wiring makes it very difficult break free of the complaining cycle. However, even catching yourself complaining is a huge win in itself. As a result, you'll start to be mindful of the language other people use around you as well. The average person complains 15-30 times a day and you'll be amazed at how many conversations are opened with a complaint amongst friends and strangers. "This weather is horrible! Can you believe how humid it is? Can you believe how rude Jim in accounts payable is? Ugh-Another Monday. Can't wait until happy hour." Sound familiar?
The Healthy Choice: Letting off steam. Venting. Commiserating. These can all be healthy and helpful things when done the right way. But when it comes to fruitless complaining, study after study reveals that it is bad for your health. Thinking about how bad something is and then reinforcing it with verbal language starts to make it worse than it actually is. The cycle continues from there until you've convinced yourself and everyone around you that the freeway traffic really is the WORST thing ever. This is especially true when constantly fixated on problems as opposed to the solutions. If you need more convincing that pessimism is not productive nor good for you, psychologists have data showing optimists are healthier, live longer, have more friends and better social lives, enjoy life more and have more prosperous careers.
Filling the Void: Like so many well-intentioned endeavors, we often get pulled back into old habits when we don't replace them with better ones. So what's the polar opposite of complaining? Gratitude. If you take a few minutes a day to write down some things you are grateful for, they can be your go-to focal point when negative energy starts welling up in you. Another anti-complaint is action. When something is really starting to eat at you, take five and brainstorm a quick list of potential ways to make the situation better or change it completely.
Accepting Responsibility: At its essence, complaining is saying, "I don't want to be responsible for this". However, on the level of consciousness, we always are. There are many things outside of our control, but our interpretation of the events in our life is where responsibility starts. Next time a complaint starts bubbling up in you, stop and say (to yourself or out loud, with real conviction) "I want to accept more responsibility for everything in my experience." If you don't like your present circumstances, you must change them. If you don't want certain people in your life, you must attract and invite the ones that you do want. If there's a problem in the world that upsets you, you are responsible for fixing it. If somebody needs help, you are responsible for aiding them. Sometimes it seems as though you have no options at all, yet you still have the option of acceptance if you choose to take it. Teacher and author Eckhart Tolle uses the example of being stuck in a traffic jam. Option one is to just turn off your car, get out, and start walking. Option two is to get really mad and scream at the traffic and complain about your misfortune and how late you will be. Option three is to wholeheartedly accept the situation as if you had chosen it yourself. Given the choices, option three is really the only "sane" thing to do. Option one kind of sucks for the other people who will have to get around your discarded vehicle, although I've considered doing this several times on Los Angeles freeways. Option two is like yelling at the universe, "This is reality and I totally disagree with it! I disagree with what is!" Kind of crazy, right?
Cultivating Optimism: After a bit of time trying this (like one day), you'll discover that it's very, very difficult. Like other very challenging endeavors, there are some things you can do to help yourself though the process. Taking care of yourself is a very basic one. This can be as simple as scheduling a break for yourself in whatever way that looks like for you. A hot bath, a funny movie, a manicure- anything that relaxes or energizes you. Some kind of physical practice like yoga is also very helpful. The very foundation of yoga has an emphasis on the breath and teaches you how to be less reactive and deal with stress, one pose at a time. Stay mindful of who you choose to spend your time with. Remember how contagious language is and try to associate yourself with other optimists. With all that can influence a positive state of mind, one might say that optimism is an acquired skill. So don't forget the mother of skill: repetition. The more positive thoughts and language you use, the easier they will come to you until they become habitual.
Project Highlight : Fascat Coaching
Any time we are asked about participating in a project where technology is somehow bettering the human condition, our automatic answer is a resounding “YES”. Fitness oriented? HELL yes. Cycling? C’mon you already had us at technology for health. Frank Overton started FasCat Coaching in 2002. Drawing from his racing career and a graduate degree in physiology, Frank built Fascat on the back of the emerging sports science power-based training field. In 2010, FasCat opened a 1500 square foot space called Performance Cycling in North Boulder that included a retail section with power meters, indoor cycling, fitness tests, bike fits, and camps. With his online coaching platform, his reach is now far greater and backed by a team of coaches, all at least Cat 2/semi-pro level racers, at least Level 2 USA Cycling Certified coaches, a minimum of 15 years experience each, and a singular focus on professional coaching. The result has been astounding and it’s hard to go on a group ride without hearing “I’m doing this FasCat program…”. In fact, I just heard it on a group ride in Salt Lake City yesterday. Training plans include every kind of riding discipline, triathlons, and a heap of other free resources including a podcast, videos, blog, and a user forum.
We were introduced to Frank by friend, fellow cyclist, and strategic partner Peter Abraham. Peter runs the content marketing studio ABRAHAM, which focuses on multi-channel storytelling that covers the range of web, television, live events and digital activation. They incubate consumer brands and media properties that result in movie producing, event creations and app building. Aside from big brands like Nike, Whole Foods, RedBull and ESPN, Peter also shares an auto-yes mechanism when it comes to cycling which has led his team to work on Canyon Bicycles, The SBT GRVL race, and USA Cycling. Peter also runs Freestyle Studios, which creates mobile experiences that enable people to get better at what they love. ABRAHAM reworked the brand representation and visual design of FasCat Coaching, brining SPARK6 in for the technical implementation.
Team Member Spotlight
Eric Colbert : partner
S6: Yo Eric! Tell us a bit about what you do here.
Eric: As a partner of a boutique agency, I end up wearing lot of hats. Technically, my role is COO, but with my background in psychology, I often end up working alongside our product strategists and user experience designers. I really like getting inside the heads of different user personas and trying to find those unobvious insights that really move the needle on a product’s success.
S6: What were you up to before joining SPARK6?
Eric: Like a lot of folks who end up at agencies, I’ve had a storied past that eventually landed me here. I was in the music industry out of college before entering the business world, doing global sourcing and manufacturing. I got to travel around the world, sourcing products that eventually came to the US.
S6: Global sourcing doesn’t seem like a natural transition from music. How did that happen?
Eric: Well, I started a family and needed to finance it [laughs]. I loved touring and playing music, but when the kids came, it was time to put on my big-boy pants and own up to the new responsibilities. Life on the road was a lot of fun, but not the best way to raise kids - at least not for me.
S6: Were there things in global sourcing that carried over into the agency world?
Eric: My role enabled me to get into the backend operations and go-to-market strategies of companies like Reebok, M&M/Mars, and Monster Energy. I had a lot of deep insights into their procedures around importing and regulatory and the eventual domestic distribution of the products. I got to see how there were often many paths to the same solution, and how the variety of product and strategy required just as many tactical plans. All the products we currently work on are also very unique when it comes to their business rules and requirements, and I often draw on my background with these big brands to help connect the dots and help them be adaptable.
S6: Let’s get philosophical. With Alexa rumored to be listening to every word you say, and Facebook’s privacy issues around the Cambridge Analytica scandal, do you currently feel that the direction of technology is producing a net good or net bad outcome on society?
Eric: Well, I have three teenage daughters so my knee-jerk answer is a net bad [laughs].
S6: Well, I guess there’s that net bad in your home, but how do you feel about the bigger picture?
Eric: I think like anything, it’s what you make of it and how you use it. So many of these tech breakthroughs are supposed to make our lives easier. Yet so often, it just adds further complexity. I think the real-time access to boundless information is net positive, but regulation needs to catch up a bit to avoid disasters like Cambridge Analytica. I’m still a huge advocate and optimist when it comes to tech, and it’s why we take every opportunity we can to make a positive impact when it comes to implementation.
S6: What would you say are the biggest challenge is in your home when it comes to tech?
Eric: I think the biggest challenge is the fragmentation of attention. We all want to believe that multi-tasking is productive, but the research shows otherwise. Worse, it starts impacting relationships when trying to fight for attention against social media and other addictive platforms. It’s really about finding that balance between using a tool for a purpose, and parting with it when it starts needlessly eating your time and doing damage to in-person relationships.
S6: What are you up to when not glued to the computer and phone?
Eric: About two and a half years ago, I got completely addicted to surfing. Now I usually start my day in the water and it’s turned into a real passion that has taken me to new places to explore the waves, like Nicaragua.
S6: Anything else you’d like people to know about you?
Eric: I’m a big believer in compassion. Let’s all just try and be be bit more understanding of each other - try and be a bit kinder.
