Scott Perry's Blog, page 6

Howard Getson - "Emotional Alchemy"

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week’s wisdom comes from a conversation with Howard Getson, CEO of Captalogix. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[HOWARD] "Focus on what you want, not what you don't want. Figure out something that you can do that moves in that direction. You can always modularly expand and make it better."

"But figure out something that counts as a victory and achieve it so that you can raise your hands, take a deep breath, and know that you've made progress towards what you want."

"So what you do is you say, 'This is what I did. This is why it's significant. Here's what that makes possible. And here's what I'm going to do next.'"

"And so it's 'emotional alchemy, where you're taking the confidence and the momentum of where you are to continue to move to where you want to be."

Howard just delivered an approach to help you become more focused, bold, and disciplined. How can this approach help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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When is it time to change your mind?

What should you do when you realize you're playing a game you no longer want to play?

Ignore sunk costs and walk away.

I get it. It's hard.

Most  of us over-identify with roles and goals in ways that are unhealthy or nurture our unhappiness.

Or we fall into the identity trap by clinging to roles and goals that are no longer necessary or serve us.

In midlife, I walked away from two roles that meant a LOT to me for a LONG time, father and musician.

Fatherhood has been a dream since childhood. But being an active, involved parent to boys in their late twenties and early thirties doesn't promote their thriving or mine.

Being a professional musician was also a lifelong dream. But after a 30-year career, I realized I was done with it, and life was calling me to do something else.

Have you caught yourself playing a role or pursuing a goal that no longer serves you?

What to do?

Here's the thing, life comes with a reserve clause.

You have the right (even the obligation) to change your mind about who you are and what you do as your circumstances, personality, or needs evolve.

Life isn't a finite game. It's an infinite one. The point of the game of life isn't to win. It's to keep playing.

And remember, games are supposed to be fun.

What roles and goals are you clinging to? Do they still light you up?

If not, maybe it's time to execute life's reserve clause and find a new game to play.

h/t Nic Peterson, "Bumpers" and Seth Godin

Scott Perry, Difference-Maker Coach at Creative on Purpose.

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Nic Peterson - "You can't win a race you don't want to be in."

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week’s wisdom comes from a conversation with Nic Peterson, author of Bumpers and founder of the Guardian Academy. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[NIC] "You can't win a race you don't want to be in."

"I'll just tell a quick story about the first time I said that. Jeff Moore, and he's told this before, he was wanting to leave his job, and he kept saying, 'But everybody thinks I should keep doing it. Everybody says I'm so good at it. I'm like, the best at this.' And he is."

"He's probably the best in the world at what he does. It's just so easy to win."

"It's like, well, you can't win a race you don't want to be in."

"And that just snapped him out of it."

"So I say to myself all the time, just remember, it doesn't matter if you're good at something if you don't want it."

"If you don't want the outcome, then don't do it."

[SCOTT] "I love it. You can't win a race that you don't want to be in."

Nic just delivered an important reminder about the importance and value of strategic quitting. How do you decide when to persist and when to pull the plug?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Effort > Outcome

Almost everything in life is beyond your control, but you do control the only 3 things you need to navigate life's ups and downs with purpose and peace of mind.

What are they? And how do they work?

I'm glad you asked.

Let's break down the 3 things you need to succeed in life.

First, attitude. You're responsible for how you frame yourself and your situation. Choose your story. Choose your future.

Second, aspiration. You decide what to aim for next. So choose goals worthy of your time and talents.

Third, approach. You have agency over your effort. Since time and randomness put all outcomes beyond your control, the quality of your effort is the ultimate reward.

Now remember, abdicating authority over what is yours to decide is still a decision. A decision to be a victim.

Taking responsibility for what is yours to decide is a heroic first step towards progress and peace of mind as you step into possibility.

Again, intention and integrity are their own rewards, and both inform your legacy in addition to inspiring your sense of well-being in the here and now.

Effort matters. It matters a lot.

All the rest, including outcomes, are ultimately not up to you. What do you think? How do you compass your way through life's trials and triumphs with greater joy and equanimity?

Ready. Aim. Let go.

What do you think? How do you compass your way through life's trials and triumphs with greater joy and equanimity?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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How to Catalyze Your Progress

If you want things to be different in your life, you need to see and do things differently.

What got you where you are won't get you where you want to be.

The science is convincing. 95% of our day-to-day thoughts and actions happen on auto-pilot.

But you can amplify and leverage the 5% of your mind's conscious activity to create force multipliers that help catalyze your progress.

How?

Here's a leverage point that is often overlooked.

Approach the time, attention, and effort you invest in relationships more mindfully.

Relationships have a profound impact on your success.

If you're dedicated to leveling up, the right connections have an exponential impact on closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be in life.

On the flip side, time and attention spent with family and friends who don't understand your desire and effort to level up will hold you back.

Who are the people you should spend less time with? Where are the people who will expedite your journey?

How can you create more proximity, access, and exposure to a catalyst club of people who share your aspiration to grow and excel?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

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Tommaso Mastrocola - "Let’s get real or let’s not play."

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week’s wisdom comes from a conversation with Tommaso Mastrocola, founder of Vero Group. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[TOMMASO] "Let's get real, or let's not play. Decide what the game you're playing is."

"I guarantee most of the people listening to this if you put them on the spot and ask them, 'What is the game that you're playing?' We are in an age where, again, everything seems limitless."

"So, in every avenue, we overindulge. We over-commit."

"There's nothing wrong with pushing back from the table and saying 'No.' That's really what I would leave with."

"Have the confidence to realize that you're not the only one and understand that feeling like an imposter means you're on to something. Okay? That's the resistance, see?"

"Pressfield, we're both a fan, Steve talks about it, but that's resistance."

"And the problem with the red pill is when you swallow the red pill, as Morpheus says, you can't go back to being asleep. So you're on the path."

"All I'll tell you is you're on the path and follow the law of inertia. Keep moving. Small actions do build, and just get yourself into a habit."

Tommaso just delivered an important reminder about the importance and value of playing your game. How are you playing your game today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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The Power of Polarization

Practice the art of pissing people off more often.

What?!?!

Sure, polarization gets a bad rap, especially in today's politics and culture wars. But what if I told you there's a GENEROUS side to pissing people off?

Hear me out.

As a recovering people pleaser, I now realize that practicing empathetic antagonism has a time and place. When done with intention and integrity, being polarizing can supercharge the change you want to make more efficiently and effectively.

Now, hold on. I'm not talking about pissing off EVERYONE or doing it ALL the time. That would be counterproductive, right?

Instead, the real power lies in repelling those who aren't the right fit for the change you're facilitating. It's a win-win for both parties!

Let's face it, time, attention, and energy are precious resources. By focusing on speaking directly to a specific audience with a particular aspiration or problem, you'll please the RIGHT people who truly need your help. It's like a magnet that attracts the perfect connections while keeping the WRONG ones at bay.

So, how can you tap into the power of polarization today?

Embrace your unique voice, fearlessly share your expertise, and speak directly to your ideal audience's needs, wants, dreams, and desires. That's where the magic happens!

Remember, polarization isn't about being divisive for the sake of it. It's about finding your kind of people, making a meaningful impact, and letting those who need someone else move along to find their perfect fit.

How can you generously leverage polarization today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Who are you?

Thoughtful, generous, purpose-driven humans wrestle with two fundamental questions.

"Who am I?" and "What should I do with my life?"

Answering these questions is incredibly fraught.

We possess contradictory natures. We like to know where we fit in and what's expected, and want to stand out and seek the new.

We live our lives out loud and in public and are prone to pay a lot of attention to the scrutiny and expectations of others.

All the while, another existential question nags at us, "Am I going to be okay?"

And so, in the first half of life, we seek identity and meaning through external instruction and validation.

Who we are is based on our roles (child, sibling, friend, student, occupation, spouse, parent, etc.), and these roles determine goals tied to our level of prestige and prosperity.

At some point, some of us notice that building identity and forging meaning based on the pursuit of happiness isn't actually making us happy. We seek something deeper.

What to do?

Over the last seven years, I've employed time-tested and scientifically vetted knowledge from ancient spiritual and philosophical traditions to help clients connect with who they really are, what they're really good at, and where they really belong to begin forging identity and finding purpose in their live's next chapter.

What we've found is that you don't need to "find" yourself. You need to face yourself.

Identity and purpose aren't fixed destinations. They're emergent.

If you're ready to get real about defining who you really are and what you're really meant to do with your life, start here.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

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What is Purpose?

What is purpose (and why does it matter)?

When I found myself broken, lost, and alone at a midlife crossroads, purpose literally saved my life. So, I'm talking about it in case it might save you.

Something that helped me was defining what purpose meant (at least to me).

I decided that purpose is "a reason for being" and that the pursuit of purpose gives life meaning.

Then "all" I had to do was pursue the work and relationships right in front of me on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.

Drip by drip, step by step, conversation by conversation, and task by task, I found that living on purpose begets purpose, and purpose emerges from endeavors pursued with and for a purpose.

What's the work in front of you today? How might doing it on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose help cultivate more purpose and clarify your purpose?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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How to Pay Attention

Attention may be our most undervalued resource.

Why?

There are SO many associated costs.

Attention means "to stretch toward."

This means whatever you're paying attention to also costs you time, effort, and energy (at the very least).

What you pay attention to can also impact your identity and reputation (not to mention any financial costs).

What to do?

Pay attention with intention.

Intention means "to turn one's attention toward."

And here's the deal, you can control your intention.

How do you gain control of your intentions (and, by extension, your attention)?

Make yourself aware of what you're paying attention to, and consciously decide to stop paying attention to anything that doesn't serve your aspiration.

BTW, aspiration means "to strive for something higher."

If you keep your aspiration in mind as you set your intention for what you pay attention to, you can more easily recapture and reallocate your attention to invest in something that serves your aspiration.

Pay attention to what's essential, and you'll more effortlessly close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

What are you paying attention to? Are you paying attention with attention? Is it getting you closer to your aspiration?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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