Scott Perry's Blog, page 7

How to Get Where You Want to Be in Life

Do you struggle to get where you want to be in life, love, or career?

Here's why.

You need more clarity about where you really are.

Think about it. If you enter a specific destination into the "To" field in Google Maps but don't include a particular starting point in the "From" field, it can't chart your best route (or any of the alternatives, for that matter)

But how do you clarify where you're starting from so you can get where you want to be?

You need to be clearer about who you really are.

And if you don't have enough clarity about who you really are and where you really are, you can't know where you really want to be.

Here's what I've found.

Goals worth pursuing emerge from your purpose (AKA your "reason for being").

Purpose emerges from who you are.

Start with who. Start with you.

Who are you really?

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

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Kevin Chu - "Micro step into what you want."

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 Kevin Chu, creator of Doc the Wolf and the author of Turning Pennies Into Dimes. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[KEVIN] "I think the impactful concept for me would be to micro-step into whatever it is that you are doing."

"So let's say that I want to start a side hustle. How do I go about doing that? It can be very intimidating to just straight up and leave the business that I have right now."

"So what is one small thing that you can do currently that can move you towards what you say that you want to do?"

"So if it's opening up your own side hustle, figure out what is that one thing that can help you to eventually move from the side hustle, if it becomes something that you're passionate about, that helps to bring out your creativity to move that into more of a full-time thing. Very similar to when I was writing."

"When I was just typing up these articles, or the creation of the book. It didn't start with, 'Oh, I have an idea. I'm going to create this book one day.' It was the repetition of these micro steps of writing, summarizing articles over the course of a year, over and over again."

"And then, from there, I took the NFT art, and I just started drafting things for the art. I didn't just go right into writing the book."

"t was these small little steps that I took every single day. Just doing something to help improve the process for what it is that I want to do later on."

Kevin just delivered an important reminder about how to clarify what you want with more ease through a sequence of small viable steps. How are you micro-stepping today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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I am you.

How do you turn the difference only you can make into an offer, cause, and/or community that serves others?

I struggled to answer these questions when I felt the pull to make a pivot in my life's work.

But I learned the difference only I can make lies in helping people solve the problem I first had to solve for myself.

"What is the work I'm meant to do now?"

To answer that question, I had to answer several other questions.

Those questions include the following:

What is the difference only I can make?
Why am I the one to do it?
Who do I make that difference with and for?
Where do I connect with them?
How do I make that difference?

Once I had enough clarity about all this, I tested my idea by putting it in front of an audience that was well-defined enough to test it for resonance.

I used these three templates* for crafting messaging that cultivated connections to make change happen.

I am you.
You're already there (you just don't know it).
I am your champion.

I spent several months helping other people without pay. Connecting, learning, and helping until I refined, iterated, and improved my process enough to feel confident about pricing, marketing, and selling it.

Do you care enough to do the real work of defining, developing, and delivering the difference only you can make?

If so, remember this, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.

The process is the shortcut.

And simply begin.

*h/t Jeff Moore

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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The Path to Wisdom

What is the path to wisdom?

Here's an approach I'm playing with.

Knowledge => Learning => Intelligence* => Virtue => Wisdom

Let's define our terms.

Knowledge - the acquisition of information
Learning - the implementation of knowledge
Intelligence - applying learning to get what you want
Virtue - intelligence practiced with integrity and intention
Wisdom - pursuing virtue without attachment to expectations, scrutiny, or outcomes

I don't need more knowledge to get closer to what I want.

Instead, applying what I already know provides learning that nurtures intelligence, bringing me closer to what I want.

And by incorporating virtue, wisdom becomes an emergent property.

The process becomes the shortcut and its own reward.

*h/t Dr. Todd Snyder & Nic Peterson

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Impressions Or Impact?

Are you using social media, or is it using you?

My social media expert friends tell me I do social media all wrong.

They send me updates about the algorithm and hacks for creating content that ranks higher and gets more impressions, reactions, and comments.

But here's the thing.

You can't win a game you don't want to play.

I don't want to chase an algorithm or be a hack.

I want to play my game on my terms without compromise.

What about you?

Are you following the herd or leaning into your distinction?

Are you on social media to put on a show or make a difference?

Are you chasing impressions or seeking to make an impact?

What if you show up on social media and simply play your game?

Do what you do on your terms without compromise, and let 'em watch.

Do your thing with intention and deliver it with integrity everywhere you show up.

You'll get enough attention from enough of the right people to have enough conversations that connect you with enough of the right people.

And who knows?

Instead of following a trend, you'll lead one.

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Life ≠ Living

Life and living are related, of course.

But the distinctions between the two are worth considering.

Life begins with birth and ends with death.

Living is the quality of your experience in between.

Life requires adequate oxygen, water, nutrition, and a reasonable temperature (98.6°ish).

That’s it.

Living requires growth, meaning, and purpose (AKA “self-actualization” or “flow”).

And between life and living is a gap everyone must navigate.

This transition from life to living requires securing safety, belonging, and self-esteem.

The biggest obstacle I witness (and experience) in moving from “I’m alive” to “I am living” is self-esteem (AKA self-compassion or worthiness).

What’s your relationship with your worthiness?

For many of us, the honest answer is, “It’s complicated.”

Here are some steps I’ve found helpful to close the worthiness gap more efficiently.

Surrender - Not giving up or giving in. Surrender is letting go of what’s not yours in the first place.
Faith - Trust that things happen “as they should” when you take intentional action.
Grace - Extending forgiveness and mercy to yourself and others.
Compassion - Empathy in action from the inside out.
Acceptance - Being present with what’s happening without attaching your well-being to it. 

Cultivating these human skills is where the art of living begins.

There’s no roadmap to living the good life, but these skills provide an effective compass that facilitates an end to suffering as you lean into the real work of limitless living.

Ready to step into your potential and explore the possibility of finding greater fulfillment, forging more meaning, and making a bigger difference?

Simply begin.

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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How to Make the Rest of Your Life Your Best Life

It often happens in midlife but can happen at any stage of life.

You decide to stop seeking external meaning and motivation about how to live well and look within.

But how do you make the rest of your life your best life?

Here are three time-tested and scientifically vetted steps that have worked for me and dozens of my clients.

Step 1: Wake Up. Are you playing your game or the game you were taught to play? Remember, you can't win a game you don't want to play.

Step 2: Define the difference only you can make. This is the work you're meant to do now. Play your game. Live your legacy.

Step 3: Remember, playing your game is supposed to be fun. Be present, grateful, and generous. The process is the shortcut. The pursuit is its own reward.

It sounds simple because it is simple.

But simple is never easy. 

Want help? Click here to get guided and going.

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Dustin Staiger - "Choose grace instead."

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 Dustin Staiger the author of Blame This Book. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[Dustin] "The thing that really comes to mind for me is the idea of the second arrow, right?"

"So the story of the Buddha and a student. Buddha is talking to the student and says, 'You know when a person is shot with an arrow does it hurt them?' That's an obvious question, right?"

"So you're like, 'What is he getting at?' But the student replies, 'Yes, it does.'"

"And Buddha says, 'If this same person is shot with a second arrow, does that hurt them as well?' And the person said, 'Yes, it does.'"

"And then the Buddha explained it. 'In life, we can't always avoid the first arrow. The first hurt that occurs in life, we're going to encounter those things no matter what."

"But we do have an opportunity with the second arrow. That is our choice, right?"

"And so when somebody around us is hurt, they've encountered that first arrow and that first arrow could be a failure of some sort."

"Then I think one tip for me is to have the awareness in that moment to ask yourself, 'Am I going to blame them?' At this point, then, am I firing that second arrow? And do I have an opportunity right now to do something different?"

"The opportunity of choice here is to, instead of choosing that arrow, choose grace instead."

"And that doesn't mean that they don't encounter consequences for that failure, but it means that we're not adding insult to injury in that moment by firing that second arrow of blame.."

Dustin just delivered an important reminder about how to avoid the blame and shame game. How will you avoid shooting the second arrow and choose grace instead today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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The Antidote to Chaos

It's challenging to maintain progress in endeavors that matter (never mind sustain progress).

Why?

Entropy.

What's entropy?

Entropy is the inclination for untended things to decline into disorder.

For instance, if you don't maintain healthy eating and exercise habits, your body (along with your mind and spirit) will start to fall apart. Without consistent and frequent employment, any skill you've developed will steadily decline.

What to do?

Maintaining a purposeful practice can be a formidable challenge in a world filled with constant distractions and ever-increasing demands.

An essential key to success lies in cultivating a daily regimen that serves as a guiding light amidst the chaos of entropy.

By nurturing a habit of practice, you can avoid the clutches of entropy, ensuring greater and lasting order and integrity in your purposeful pursuits.

Here are five tips for staving off entropy.

1. Establish a Foundation: Identify your core values, long-term goals, and the essential steps necessary. This foundation acts as a compass, providing direction and motivation. With a clear vision in mind, you can design a daily practice that aligns with your purpose, making it an integral part of your routine.

2. Consistency Breeds Success: Consistency is the cornerstone of any daily practice. Commit to regular engagement to reinforce your dedication to your purpose. Whether it's through allocating time for reflection, physical exercise, or skill development, the key is to establish a consistent rhythm that promotes growth and progress.

3. Embrace Rituals: Incorporating rituals into a daily practice fosters a sense of order and stability. Rituals can range from simple acts like morning meditation or journaling to more complex routines like goal setting and planning. These rituals provide a dedicated space for introspection, allowing you to recalibrate your focus, stay grounded, and maintain the integrity of your purpose.

4. Prioritize Self-Care: Recognize the importance of self-care to maintain resilience. Nurturing your physical, mental, and emotional well-being is crucial to sustaining your commitment. Incorporating activities like exercise, adequate sleep, healthy eating, and mindfulness into your daily practice ensures you have the energy and clarity to navigate challenges and stay true to your purpose.

5. Embrace Adaptability: Life is unpredictable, and circumstances can change in an instant. Understand the need for adaptability in your daily practice. Remain open to adjusting your routines and embrace new methods that better serve your evolving needs. This flexibility allows you to navigate setbacks and overcome obstacles while staying true to your purpose.

In a world susceptible to entropy, you can safeguard your sense of direction and focus by cultivating a daily practice. Through consistency, rituals, self-care, and adaptability, you create an environment that nurtures growth and shields yourself from distractions. This intentional action maintains order and integrity and is a powerful tool to defy entropy and propel you toward a purposeful and fulfilling life.

How can you embrace the power of daily practice and unleash your potential to live with purpose amidst the chaos of the world today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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Seth Godin - "Let's talk about this."

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 Seth Godin the author of The Song of Significance. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[SETH] "You know, as I said, 'Why bother writing a book?' Because it's such a pain in the neck, and it takes so long. Just write a blog post. You reach way more people."

"And the answer is, 'Because the emotional labor and the effort you put into it is a signal to other people.' And the signal is, let's talk about this. That's what I want to do with this book."

"It's not to tell people the answer but to point out that there are 125 or 150 questions in the book. Who are you talking to? About what? What would make your work feel and actually be more significant? Are you ready for the end of the industrial era and the rise of AI, or you're just pretending it's not happening because you're afraid?"

"The only way to go forward is to talk about it, and that's why I wrote a book. That's why I show up."

"I mean, I would show up for you anytime because I like talking to you, but that's why I show up in public. Because I'm trying to start the conversation."

"But we need to go past this mindset of 'Well, that guy's a billionaire, and therefore they're right,' to 'Oh, that's a good question. Let's talk about it.'"

"And that's what I'm hoping people will do. If you can do one thing, go talk about it."

Seth just delivered an important reminder about starting conversations that change things by asking more beautiful questions about what work is really for.

What more beautiful question are you asking yourself today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

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