Here at Black Sheep, we’re not about standing still, so naturally the message behind Netflix’s Luke Cage stood out to us, and millions of other viewers, no doubt. This world is full of injustice. Luke Cage reinforces that which we already knew: there are heroes on every corner, willing to fight the good fight because they aren’t afraid of moving forward, against the grain—even when it’s hard. Because of people like our good friend Luke Cage, we can see the impact that people can make when they oppose complacency.

Stay Uncomfortable.
Getting too comfortable can be frightening to us. There’s always something else to achieve, to fight for or to learn. Maybe it’s a PR in the gym, or a new language to learn—sometimes, it’s the full Black Sheep crew working through the night to create an unforgettable campaign. No matter what it might be, it’s a top priority for us. The second our team gets comfortable is the second that we realize that we need to shift our thinking, set new goals, ramp our campaigns to the next level or question everything that we just did. 

Set goals: short-term, long-term and long, long, long term. No, that’s not enough. Think bigger. Incredibly big. Change-the-world big. 

Figure out what you care about and do something about it. All of us have something in our lives that needs our voice, because of a deep-seated compassion for the other person or a previous experience. We CAN and WILL do better. But first, you’ve got to be willing. 

Don’t Take The Easy Route.
We’re not fans of easy. What does easy say about you? It says that there wasn’t a struggle. There wasn’t that moment where you might have questioned yourself to make sure that THIS work is the BEST work that you can do. At Black Sheep, we second-guess everything we do, over and over again. We dig deep, explore thoroughly and then come up for air and keep digging. We believe in producing work that makes an impact and creates a real, tangible connection to an end goal. 

What do you do in your spare time? Some people go to the gym—others might practice the zen art of Spotify playlist-building. Whatever it is, make it hard on yourself (and add plenty of soul). 

The next time you’d like to say no, say yes. And you’re right—that probably means you’ll have to double-date with some peeps you barely remember from high school. *cringe* Good luck with that!

Slow Down.
We don’t just do things. There’s never a moment where we can hang out in front of the television, blindly crossing things off of a to-do list. We need our brains too much, since everything we do is rooted in strategy. It’s long-term thinking, it’s creative prowess and it’s a real concern. Getting things done faster doesn’t mean that they’re better or even that we’re more productive. Slowing down, holding each other accountable to solid work and knowing how and when we should pause and learn to be better.  

Read books. It’s good for everyone to be exposed to new thoughts, opinions and viewpoints. Studies have shown that the most successful people also read the most—plus reading helps fight depression, improves confidence and makes you a better decision maker. 

During conversation, look people in the eye. No one wants to feel like a burden or a second thought, so give them your full attention. They’ll feel acknowledged and you’ll be a better friend. So it’s a win-win all around.  

“Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain in the brain. The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things it as they might be. “Good enough” becomes today’s watchword and tomorrow standard.” —Alex and Brett Harris

Pop’s words still ring true: “Never backward, always forward. Always.”

Never Backward, Always Forward: A Case Against Complacency

Spoilers ahead for Luke Cage: In a traditional creating-a-superhero story, Luke Cage’s evolution into Harlem’s protector is both predictable and needed—a man, with a brutal past and horrific testimony, sees his loved ones tragically taken from him.

Spoilers ahead for Luke Cage:In a traditional creating-a-superhero story, Luke Cage’s evolution into Harlem’s protector is both predictable and needed—a man, with a brutal past and horrific testimony, sees his loved ones tragically taken from him. Most notably was Pop, a father-figure and mentor to Power Man (and every other young man that walked into his barber shop), whose motto resonated every time he spoke to Luke: “Never backward, always forward. Always.”

Condensed

In Chapter One of Gretchen’s book, she describes four kinds of people, or what she calls “Four Tendencies.” They are: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers and Rebels. Guess which one I thought I was based on name alone? But NOPE. And I was quite surprised. Here’s my breakdown of the four (which Gretchen may or may not agree with):

Upholders: They get everything done on their list EVERY DAY, no matter what’s on it, no matter what comes up. In the book, she describes a woman who gets food poisoning on vacation, who still goes about her tourist itinerary because those places were on her list. No exceptions here. Every box must be checked.

Questioners: Questioners not only want to know what needs to be done in a day, they want to know WHY. If they know why and agree with the why, they’re likely to get it done. They’re motivated by sound reason. Questioners “resist rules for rules’ sake ” and resist the arbitrary (think New Year’s Resolutions).

Obligers: Obligers are motivated by external accountability. They meet external deadlines and demands and go to great lengths not to let others down. Overall, they’re thought of as “people pleasers.”

Rebels: Rebels resist all expectations. “They choose to act from a sense of choice, of freedom.” They refuse to do what they’re “supposed” to do, but can still manage to accomplish their own goals.

It turns out, I’m an Obliger. While I don’t think of myself as a “people pleaser,” I am a stickler about meeting (or exceeding) expectations and always meeting deadlines. While I never would have labeled myself an Obliger, knowing this is my Tendency, Gretchen (importantly identified as an Upholder) says I’ll have something of a shortcut to forming a habit…and those around me working to help me build that habit will also be able to help. To illustrate, let me share an example from the book.

She says, “Knowing our Tendency can help us frame habits in a compelling way. I exercise regularly because it’s on my to-do list; a Questioner rattles off the health benefits of exercise; an Obliger takes a weekly bike ride with a partner; and when my Rebel friend Leslie Fandrich wrote about how she started running, she emphasized Rebel values of freedom and desire: ‘Running seems like the most efficient and independent way to get myself back into shape…I can go when it suits my schedule without having to pay for a gym membership.” 

As I close this chapter, it looks like we’ve got our step one. Figure out what Tendency we have and then try to apply it to the habit we want to form. Think about that this week and try to take the first step. This is going to be a tricky one for me, because the habit I want to work on is protecting my time, and Obligers want to deliver for others. [Cue dramatic music.]

Creatures of HABIT: A Black Sheep Experiment (Part II)

This blog post is a part of a series—an experiment of sorts. You see, I’m reading a book about forming better habits, and I invited the entire agency to participate.

This blog post is a part of aseries—an experiment of sorts. You see, I’m reading a book about forming better habits, and I invited the entire agency to participate. I also invited YOU to play along—and it’s not too late. It’s never too late.This is the second post of the series. Read the first one here.