Scott Perry's Blog, page 52

The Reserve Clause

Some people have a really hard time with the idea of fate. What's so upsetting about the idea that everything is happening as it was intended?

I think many don't like the idea that Providence* is in charge because that means that they are not.

Why not embrace fate instead? That your life and that of others is unfolding as it should and is meant doesn't mean you don't have a role to play. Indeed, it actually means you are even more "on the hook" for your thoughts, words, and deeds. 

Adopting a posture that your efforts and aspirations are being pursued with the reserve clause, "fate permitting," doesn't mean that you're letting life happen to you. Instead, such an approach acknowledges that life is happening through you.

Whether you believe in or accept fate, you have a role to play in your life, the lives of others, the world, and even the cosmos.

Play that role well.

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott

*Providence is the idea that God, Nature or something else greater than yourself provides foreseeing care and guidance over earthly creatures and events.

Reaching the "Right" People

When you create something and put it forth into the world, it's easy to fall into the "reach trap." "How can I get this in front of the most pairs of eyeballs possible?" Social media only amplifies the seductive delusion of  "reach."

Your work doesn't need to reach everyone to make meaningful change happen. It merely needs to reach enough of the "right people" you intended it for.

Share something that delights the right people so thoroughly that they can't help but tell more of the right people. This is how you achieve the viability and sustainability necessary to allow you to get up again tomorrow and continue to do the work that fulfills and energizes you.

Yesterday I put my latest work into the world. The Creative on Purpose Handbook is a $1 guide for discovering, developing, and delivering enterprises worthy of your time, talents, and effort.

I wrote this handbook for you. If you grab a copy and it helps, please tell the others so we can all continue to fly higher in endeavors that make a difference.

Onward!

Scott

Already have a copy? Why not leave a great review to help reach the others!

How to Change Your Mind

You're a lousy listener. So am I. It's a human thing. We're just not programmed to tune in and understand someone else's perspective or experience.

You and I are telling ourselves stories; stories about who we are, who other people are, what our circumstances are, what the situation in general is, and on and on.

The problem is, most of the time the narrator in our heads is composing works of fiction, not scientific or mathematical proofs based on irrefutable facts. And when we bump up against someone else's story in a conversation, we unconsciously and immediately stop listening and start judging their position and defending our stance.

No wonder we almost never change our mind.

The problem though is that unless you learn to change our mind, you can't ever truly improve or develop yourself.

What happens if you let go of your agendas and attachments? What if you enter a conversation and instead of just hearing or listening to what was being said you considered it? What if you acknowledged and accepted another point of view without agreeing or arguing with it?

That kind of conversation could be transformative. That kind of conversation might change your mind. That kind of conversation could make things better. That kind of conversation could make you better than you were before. What would that be like?

Keep flying higher!

Scott

When?

When is the "right" time to step into possibility, develop excellence, and start making a difference in an endeavor you're building?

Most often we decide it's "later." We convince ourselves that we need to learn more, think about it, get our ducks in a row, or wait for the "right" moment.

The thing is, we already possess everything we need to get started. You are sufficient even as you strive.

It's in the starting that we get to test and tweak and iterate and improve. Doing our work "out loud" and "in person" not only helps us refine what we do, it helps us "find the others." You enhance your life most through work done with and for others.

So, what does it take to start? Choose to start and then do it.

It helps to have fellow travelers on this journey, a destination in mind, and a plan for getting there, but nothing happens until you decide you're ready to go and you take that first step.

Turns out, at least in my experience, that the others show up and the destination and plan get clearer when we are already committed to and on the journey.

What endeavor are you dreaming of or already doing? When will you start or start leveling up? Why not start now and see what happens next?

Keep flying higher!

Scott

BTW, we have room for one more fellow traveler in the Endeavor Better Together Group Coaching July Cohort (next one doesn't gather until October).

Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should.

We live in a time of abundance. Everything you want to have can be delivered to your device or door instantly. Anything you want to share can be delivered the moment you think it or make it.

And yet...

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

But when should you or shouldn't you?

In The Marketing Seminar we approach this challenge by asking three questions:

What change are you seeking to make?
Who are you trying to change?
What promise are you making?

These three simple questions can help you discern if your motives are promiscuous or generous, selfish or of service, a waste or worthwhile.

Properly employing ability and abundance to your endeavors requires you do so with intention and integrity.

When you are thoughtful and deliberate about what you do choose and what you don't in your endeavors, you improve your chances of doing work worth your time and effort and everyone else's.

What should you do today? As important, what shouldn't you do?

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott

Being Creative on Purpose - It Makes All the Difference

I was about to turn 50. I was a husband, father, teacher, and musician. In each of those endeavors, I was doing well enough by anyone's standards.

And yet...

I knew I could do more. I believed I could do better. I was ready to do both more and better in all my endeavors.

But how?

I began by looking inward. I reevaluated and reconnected with my core values, my inherent talents, and where I belonged. 

Then I started looking outward at how I was approaching what I did, how I was doing it, and who I was doing it with.

And I decided that I need to change and that I could change right now.

I changed my mindset by simply acknowledging all the goodness I already possessed and all the possibility available to me. I changed my posture by deliberately engaging with others with greater empathy and generosity. And I started flying higher by intentionally engaging in meaningful endeavors that were done with and for others.

It was terrifying and it was thrilling. I had a lot of false starts and made plenty of mistakes and I was fortunate to have enough success to know I was on the right path. I committed to showing up regularly as the person I wanted to be and fellow travelers appeared.

I became creative on purpose by being creative on purpose and that made all the difference.

And being creative on purpose can do the very same for you.

Are you ready? Let's go!

Scott Perry
Founder of Creative on Purpose
Author of The Creative on Purpose Handbook

Embracing Dissonance

The history of music, Western music at least, is the story of growing more and more comfortable with dissonance. Over time, our ability to embrace, appreciate, and dance with this tension has increased.

Listen to a Gregorian chant and then tune in to composition by Ornette Coleman and you'll get a sense of how far we've come in what level of discomfort we're able to tolerate, and even expect, in the music we listen to.

Dissonance is a signal. In music, in life, and in your work, dissonance lets you know that change is about to happen, that this is worth paying attention to, and that it's time to lean in.

Those butterflies you feel. The noise in your head. They arise when you're about to do something different. Something that might even make a difference.

Dissonance isn't something to ignore or shy away from. It's a reminder that the tried and true need to be tweaked. It's an invitation to join in making change happen.

When was the last time you paid attention and leaned into the possibilities promised by dissonance?

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott

Don't Go Home. Go Small!

For those that endeavor, the conventional wisdom is "go big or go home." Following this advice is precisely why so few enterprises ever get started or off the ground. Instead of "swinging for the fences" and then quitting when you "strike out," why not strategically "settle" for "base hits?" Why not go small?

It's so easy to "hide" in big dreams. Big plans too often lead to spinning cycles collecting dots and getting your ducks in a row. You don't need new tools or training. You need to put yourself on the hook and get going. To get where you want to be you need to start where you are and take the next smallest step into the possibility you're aiming for.

The SVS (Smallest Viable Step)

This idea comes from a chat I had with my friend, Marie Schacht. Sure, you need to have an end in mind, but when deciding what to do next, choose the next SVS (smallest viable step). Your next SVS is your best guess at the next best step that will propel you and your work the furthest and fastest toward your goal. Choose an SVS and take it.

An SVS not acted upon is not an SVS. It's a missed opportunity to fuel forward motion. An SVS approach is a habit that encourages action and progress. Take an SVS every day and pay attention to what happens next. Reflect, iterate, and then, step again.

Your SVA (Smallest Viable Audience)

As you step into possibility with your endeavor through a sequence of smallest viable steps, your SVA will begin to come into focus. An SVA is the smallest viable audience aware of and attracted to your work whose attention, permission, trust, enrollment, and investment you can earn through consistent and deliberate engagement.

SVA comes from the work of Seth Godin and his latest book, This Is Marketing (which is crafted from his online workshop, The Marketing Seminar). The idea is to identify a group of people you already know whose lives would be enhanced by colliding with you and your work and to empathetically and ethically engage with them.

Putting yourself "on the hook" to connect with a specific group that you consistently show up for, look in the eye, and serve, is the best way to gain clarity about who your work is for. It also helps refine what that work is, what it promises, and who you need to collaborate with.

Your SVO (Smallest Viable Offer)

An audience that is interested in your endeavor is great, but you'll need some in that audience to enroll and invest in your work in order to sustain it. Once you've identified an SVA, it's time to develop an SVO (smallest viable offer).

An SVA is not the product or service you've already built. It's the product or service you will build if there's enough interest and investment from your SVA. Don't write a book or a speech, don't build a course or community, don't buy equipment or a building. Instead, make a landing page with a "Buy Now" button that describes the small-but-valuable offer you'll make good on when you get what Seth Godin calls your "first ten." Ten paying customers.

An SVO is something you can create in a day or a weekend. An offer that solves a small problem or serves a small need of your SVA. When you get the requisite number of sign-ups, create a solution or event that not only helps those who opted in but delights them so thoroughly that they ask for more and tell their friends.

The Virtues of Small

Going small doesn't mean you lack vision or ambition. Going small is the posture of a professional who wishes to serve the "right" people with intention and integrity and cares enough to put in the time and effort to pay attention to their dreams and desires.

What small step are you taking today to serve a small group of people with a small offer that helps them get where they want to go?

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott

BTW, if you found this approach helpful, you'd probably also appreciate the Endeavor Better Quickstart Guide post from last week!

First-Ever Endeavor Better Coaching Summer Special

Thanks to the many "early adopters," Creative On Purpose's 1-on-1 Endeavor Better Coaching Program is a thriving enterprise.

Summertime Is the Right Time to Endeavor Better!

On June 21st, prices increase for one-hour 1-on-1 Coaching.

Do you have an endeavor you're ready to level up in this summer? Is there a passion project, side hustle, or second-act you'd like to get going on or make progress in? Is there a role or relationship that you want to lean into with greater intention and integrity?

A one-hour 1-on-1 Endeavor Better coaching session will help you identify and step into possibility. Let's work together to help you develop your potential and deliver on your promise in an effort worthy of your time and talent.

Ready? Let's go!

If you're ready to fly higher in an endeavor that makes a difference, click this link and sign up before June 22nd to save 70% on the new one-hour 1-on-1 coaching rate.

You'll also receive free lifetime access to the Creative On Purpose Mastermind, Endeavor Better online course, all my handbooks, and members-only forum (a $600 value).

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott

What I've Been Reading

This article contains affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase, Creative On Purpose receives a commission. Thank you!

"Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

Books are my go-to source for inspiration and information in my endeavors. Here are four books that currently inform my journey in developing Creative On Purpose and help me enhances the lives of those who collide with it.

               

Happy: Why Everything Is More or Less Fine, by Derren Brown

Derren presents a no-nonsense approach to living the good life that touches on Stoicism, positive psychology, and pokes holes in some of the more silly sides of the self-help genre. This is a profound, entertaining, and funny read for those ready to stress less and thrive more in life and work.

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most, by Sheila Heen et al

This is a topic I took a clumsy stab at in Wicked Conversations. In Difficult Conversations, the authors present a thoughtful and easily executed approach based on neuroscience, psychology, and collaborative wellness. This is an approachable work on a challenging topic.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Human Kind, by Yuval Noah Harari

Harari presents a brief history of homo sapiens in an insightful and highly engaging manner. This book will make you reconsider what it means to be human. I found Sapiens so compelling, I immediately picked up the author's other titles, Homo Deus and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, by Chip Conley

Chip Conley is redefining what it means to be an elder in ways that are empowering and challenging. I was honored when Chip accepted my offer to appear on Creative On Purpose Live. Whether you think you're approaching "elderhood" or not, Wisdom @ Work is loaded with lessons for living and working better together.

These four books, more than any other of the dozens I've recently read, have had the biggest impact on my journey in building the Creative On Purpose brand and developing and delivering on its promise to help others fly higher in endeavors that make a difference. You can find them and other helpful resources in the Creative On Purpose Bookstore.

Let's keep flying higher together!

Scott