A complaint free world

Has anybody taken the complaint free challenge? 

The challenge is, to get to 30 day’s straight of not complaining. You have a wrist band and start with it on one wrist and every time you catch yourself complaining, you switch the band to the opposite wrist until you have had it on the same wrist for 30 days. 

It can be fun to do it with other people but the thing about that is, if you notice the other person complaining, and they don’t notice, if you tell them, you have to switch your band as well! Lol! I’ve been in that dilemma a few times lol! 

Like the Four Agreements though, if you implement the suggestions in the book, it’s a game changer and can lead you to eternal happiness with some fun along the way. 

For those who don’t already know, what do you think the average length of time is for people to make it to 30 days straight? 

Parents
  • How about taking the challenge and complaining at every opportunity and see if you can keep up the complaints for thirty days solid. 

    I  usually succeed at this, but can anyone else?  If you do succeed wear a badge with pride to say that how much better you are for complaining, it is guaranteed to be good for the soul and for those who never complain they will never know how good it does feel!  It leads to an inner acceptance that the world is a place that needs so many tweaks and changes and gives a great sense of purpose.  You will realise how unfulfilled those who never complain must be even if they do not realise it.

    Go on, give it a go!

  • I've got a reputation at work for being a complainer.  But then, there's so much to complain about.  Sloppy colleagues, spending more time with their phones than with the task in hand.  Managers who refuse to step in and make proper decisions.  People who leave their crap lying around for others to deal with.  And people who are just generally sloppy, and don't seem to care about doing a job properly.  Then they go on about how 'unproductive' we are as a nation.

  • It’s a shame for you that you have to live in a world where not everybody can live up to your standards. You sound proud of your achievement of being the chief complainer. I bet you have so many friends just falling over themselves to love and support you. 

  • You see, if general standards are low enough, anyone who isn't satisfied and complains about it is therefore labelled a 'complainer'.  At staff meetings, I often point out that staff should only be using their personal phones on breaks, not when they're at their desks.  I would say about 90% of the staff use their phones during work for non work-related reasons.  That's tantamount to theft of public money and it's depriving our customers of the service we are supposed to provide.  So, I bring this up and people don't like it.  The same as if I go into the office kitchen and someone's left the milk out of the fridge after making a drink.  I could put it away.  Instead, I'll call out to the office that someone's left the milk out of the fridge.  People jam the copiers, then walk away.  One woman has a horrible phone manner, and is rude to people quite frequently.  The office manager, meanwhile, sits by listening and lets her get away with it.  I've also reported members of staff for making discriminatory comments against Muslims or people on benefits.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to just sit quietly by and let people get away with things like this.  If they continue to do it unchallenged, they'll end up thinking it's acceptable.  And not calling it a 'complaint' but a 'request' or something similar is merely semantics.  I'm not making a request.  I'm making a complaint.

  • I really like this saying trainspotter and will use it in future with my students. It's certainly true in my sector that those who don't like change use a lack of student complaints on an issue to keep the status quo no matter how unhelpful it is. This is especially true in regards to autistic students as we have no autistic friendly study spaces on campus and no rooms will be made as no one has complained. All of the library spaces are in huge open plan areas with 1000 students on each floor, mix-matched pattern carpets and strip lighting. I'm constantly trying to get students to submit constructive complaints for the greater good but a lot of them are scared to do this.

  • I wasn’t being presumptuous. I just can’t imagine someone who goes around grumbling to the degree he has earned the nickname of the person who complains the most, as having many friends. 

    However, I detect that we do not share a mutual understanding of what I mean by complaining. 

    You’re description of a basic standard is excellent, thank you, I understand that completely now. 

    What you are describing here is having an excellent attention to detail. I can relate to this. It’s a helpful skill that many of us on the spectrum enjoy and a skill which is very useful in many professions. I don’t know what this had to do with complaining though and why judge other people by your own high standards? Some people just don’t posses your skills. 

  • I should have added that it's a bit presumptuous of you to make a sarcastic comment about the people who love me and support me.  I suppose I can say that in the context of what you've just said here. Basic standards.  What I mean is, supposing you are given a task to do, such as cooking a meal.  You would want to make sure you had all the ingredients and that they were of an acceptable standard, and that the meal was cooked for the required amount of time.  That's the basic standard.  Anything else might be an addition, such as presentation or the use of some nice sauce, and some good crockery.  But it wouldn't matter about that, just as long as you'd prepared the meal to a good basic standard.  It wasn't undercooked, for instance, or the ingredients weren't off.  I try to set my standards based on the criteria for the task in hand.  So if I'm writing out a judicial Order, I'll make sure the transcription is absolutely correct as a very basic necessity.  If it means going up to see a judge and asking for clarification, then I do it.  They're usually grateful for that attention to detail, because Orders have to be precise with no room for misunderstanding.  Then I'll make sure that the printer has enough toner to print the order out properly.  Then I'll make sure I stamp it, fold it, put it in an envelope and send it out.  Those things are the basic standards for that task.  What I'm talking about is colleagues who won't bother to check if they can't read handwriting and will simply put what they think it says, which often leads to Orders coming back for redrafting, or even worse to confusion for the recipients.  Also, they'll print off the Orders, then leave them for someone else to deal with the rest.  This is sloppy work.  I actually have people who do admire me for my approach.  I'm not entirely alone at my workplace in taking this approach.  I get supported, too.  But that's my personal business which I don't want to discuss here.

Reply
  • I should have added that it's a bit presumptuous of you to make a sarcastic comment about the people who love me and support me.  I suppose I can say that in the context of what you've just said here. Basic standards.  What I mean is, supposing you are given a task to do, such as cooking a meal.  You would want to make sure you had all the ingredients and that they were of an acceptable standard, and that the meal was cooked for the required amount of time.  That's the basic standard.  Anything else might be an addition, such as presentation or the use of some nice sauce, and some good crockery.  But it wouldn't matter about that, just as long as you'd prepared the meal to a good basic standard.  It wasn't undercooked, for instance, or the ingredients weren't off.  I try to set my standards based on the criteria for the task in hand.  So if I'm writing out a judicial Order, I'll make sure the transcription is absolutely correct as a very basic necessity.  If it means going up to see a judge and asking for clarification, then I do it.  They're usually grateful for that attention to detail, because Orders have to be precise with no room for misunderstanding.  Then I'll make sure that the printer has enough toner to print the order out properly.  Then I'll make sure I stamp it, fold it, put it in an envelope and send it out.  Those things are the basic standards for that task.  What I'm talking about is colleagues who won't bother to check if they can't read handwriting and will simply put what they think it says, which often leads to Orders coming back for redrafting, or even worse to confusion for the recipients.  Also, they'll print off the Orders, then leave them for someone else to deal with the rest.  This is sloppy work.  I actually have people who do admire me for my approach.  I'm not entirely alone at my workplace in taking this approach.  I get supported, too.  But that's my personal business which I don't want to discuss here.

Children
  • You see, if general standards are low enough, anyone who isn't satisfied and complains about it is therefore labelled a 'complainer'.  At staff meetings, I often point out that staff should only be using their personal phones on breaks, not when they're at their desks.  I would say about 90% of the staff use their phones during work for non work-related reasons.  That's tantamount to theft of public money and it's depriving our customers of the service we are supposed to provide.  So, I bring this up and people don't like it.  The same as if I go into the office kitchen and someone's left the milk out of the fridge after making a drink.  I could put it away.  Instead, I'll call out to the office that someone's left the milk out of the fridge.  People jam the copiers, then walk away.  One woman has a horrible phone manner, and is rude to people quite frequently.  The office manager, meanwhile, sits by listening and lets her get away with it.  I've also reported members of staff for making discriminatory comments against Muslims or people on benefits.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to just sit quietly by and let people get away with things like this.  If they continue to do it unchallenged, they'll end up thinking it's acceptable.  And not calling it a 'complaint' but a 'request' or something similar is merely semantics.  I'm not making a request.  I'm making a complaint.

  • I wasn’t being presumptuous. I just can’t imagine someone who goes around grumbling to the degree he has earned the nickname of the person who complains the most, as having many friends. 

    However, I detect that we do not share a mutual understanding of what I mean by complaining. 

    You’re description of a basic standard is excellent, thank you, I understand that completely now. 

    What you are describing here is having an excellent attention to detail. I can relate to this. It’s a helpful skill that many of us on the spectrum enjoy and a skill which is very useful in many professions. I don’t know what this had to do with complaining though and why judge other people by your own high standards? Some people just don’t posses your skills.