Scott Perry's Blog, page 8

The Power of Purpose

What is the power of identifying a purpose for your life?

Purpose has incredible health benefits (for instance, it lowers incidences of stroke, dementia, and heart disease).

For difference-makers like you and me, however, purpose also boosts motivation, productivity, resilience, and focus. 

Let's focus on focus for a minute.

Purpose shifts your attention. It takes it off yourself and puts it onto others and the task before you.

And purpose helps you avoid obsessive self-rumination (the root cause of anxiety and depression).

So, purpose is a forcing function to look outside yourself.

Purpose also creates immunity. It protects you from yourself. Purpose helps you avoid being tripped up by unhealthy desires or blindsided by the dark side of your passion.

But here's another fantastic benefit. Purpose attracts. It inspires others and attracts them to your cause.

Purpose becomes a force multiplier—fellow travelers catalyze motivation, productivity, resilience, and focus.

Affiliation based on shared purpose provides financial, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional support.

Purpose is powerful.

Ready to embrace the power of purpose to transform your life?

Click here to get going.

h/t Rian Doris

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at The Art of Encore Living

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

Paige NeJame - "Just start."

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 Paige NeJame the author of Drift. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[PAIGE] "So in the children's book 'The Carbon Almanac: Generation Carbon,' there is one page that says, 'Just start,' That is the headline."

"And it talks about how the Earth, with climate change, doesn't need us to be perfect."

"We don't have to drive an EV. We can maybe drive a hybrid. We don't have to worry that we have to take a plane trip to a funeral if that's the only way to get there. But we do have to start."

"So do not let perfect be the enemy of the good."

"Just start, and it really does start to snowball."

Paige just delivered a powerful (and succinct) reminder about how to begin and begin again.

How might simply starting be all you need to become a truly happy human today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

How to Identify Your Superpower

To set yourself apart as a difference-maker, you must define, embrace, and share the unique perspective, exceptional talent, or signature process that sets you apart.

Is identifying what sets you apart, your distinctive edge, as a difference-maker a challenge? 

Totally understand, I've been there.

It took me years to define the difference only I can make as a coach.

While tools like The Values in Action Character Strengths Survey, Gallup CliftonStrengths Survey, and Kolbe A Index can help, try this exercise to identify your unique edge so that you can more effortlessly attract those you seek to serve.

Ask your favorite past and present clients these questions:

What was your challenge before working together?
Why did you choose to work with me over another coach?
What in particular about working together really helped you?
Why was it so effective?
What's happened for you since working together?
How has your life changed since achieving this outcome?
Where would you be now if we didn't together?

Assess the responses and look for common themes.

A surprising theme I found after surveying almost 100 past clients was that I had a knack for helping them identify, embrace, and leverage their unique gifts.

Solving the problem I had with identifying my unique perspective and exceptional talent helped me develop my signature process and set myself apart.

Go figure.

And stepping fully into my superpower helped me attract more ideal clients with greater ease and in waaayyy less time.

What's the most difficult problem you've solved for yourself? What superpower does it highlight? 

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

Chris Vabre - "Do it."

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 artist and teacher Chris Vabre.

Tune into the entire conversation here.

[CHRIS] "Do it."

"If you feel that tug. If you feel that pull. Don't ignore it."

"You can push it down and crush it. You know? So don't ignore it. Just dabble at it."

"You don't have to tell anybody. Just go and do the thing, and if It makes you happy, keep going."

"Please keep going. It can lead to things that you had never imagined."

"Look where I am. I would have never thought I'd be sitting here with you today, Scott, and talking about this, So the possibilities are endless."

Chris just delivered a powerful (and succinct) reminder about learning by doing and living from the inside out.

How are you stepping into possibility today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

Jay Bhakta - "Live to learn. Give to earn."

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 Base Case & Build founder Jay Bhakta.

Tune into the entire conversation here.

[JAY] "I like what they teach in the Master Apprentice program. They talk about 'Live to learn. Give to earn.'"

"No matter what situation you're in, if you're on a mountaintop or in the valley, you're always looking to learn and improve. Right?"

"You're always gaining knowledge."

"And then give that knowledge and share that knowledge with others."

"That's how you gain wisdom."

Jay just delivered a powerful (and succinct) reminder about learning by doing.

How are you bridging the knowledge wisdom gap and making a difference today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

The Creativity Myth

“I’m just not a creative person.”

I call bullsh*t.

BS also called on anyone who says they don’t have time for creative pursuits or that it’s too late in their lives to begin.

Creativity is not some magical, mystical power reserved for the rare genius, those lucky enough to be inspired by a fickle muse, or someone born with a unique talent.

What Creativity Is

Creativity is an inherent instinct we all possess. It’s a skill you possess and can develop through practice.

Sure, you employ your creativity when bringing something new or innovative into the world. But you also tap into your creative capacity when solving interesting and even wicked problems or figuring out how to navigate a difficult situation.

In its purest form, creativity is how anyone makes change happen. It’s a tool used to get closer to what you want, whether a painting, poem, healthy relationship or meaningful life.

Now let’s debunk the three most persistent myths about creativity so you can reconnect with and leverage your creativity to get closer to what you want.

Myth 1: Genius is only for the chosen ones.

You might think that a “genius” is someone born with a lightning bolt-shaped scar on their forehead and an uncanny ability to paint the Mona Lisa with their eyes closed.

But the truth is, there’s no such thing as a creative genius who’s inherently more talented than everyone else.

Genius is not a birthright; it’s a result of hard work, practice, and dedication.

For example, Picasso created over 50,000 works of art throughout his life.

Talk about doing the work and putting in the time!

So, the next time you feel like you’re not a creative genius, remember that it’s more about the care, consideration, time, and effort you put in, not the metaphorical lightning bolt on your forehead.

Myth 2: Inspiration strikes like a bolt from the blue.

We’ve all heard the stories of artists, writers, and inventors who claim they had a sudden burst of inspiration that led to their most significant work. But let’s be real: that’s not how creativity works.

Inspiration doesn’t typically come out of nowhere; it’s a result of constantly feeding your mind with new ideas and experiences.

It’s like a creative bank account – you’ve got to make deposits to have something to withdraw when you need it.

So, instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, go out and collect experiences, read books, or immerse yourself in art. You’ll be surprised how your creativity starts to flourish.

Myth 3: Uniqueness is the holy grail of creativity.

It’s tempting to believe that true creativity means coming up with something that’s never been done before.

But let’s face it, in a world with billions of people, it’s pretty hard to be 100% unique.

Instead of focusing on uniqueness, think about what you can bring to the table that’s authentically you.

Maybe you have a quirky sense of humor or a deep passion for a specific topic.

Embrace your individuality and use it to make your work stand out. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – you just need to give it your personal spin.

Conclusions

Creativity is not some mythical unicorn that only a few lucky souls can possess. It’s a skill that can be cultivated and nurtured through practice, experience, and embracing your individuality.

So, let go of those outdated myths and start redefining what creativity means to you and how practicing and leveraging it can work for you.

And remember, it’s not about being a genius, waiting for inspiration, or striving for absolute uniqueness – it’s about putting in the work and discovering your own creative path.

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

Monica Shell - "Don't hold back."

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 Change Your Roadmap founder, Monica Shell.

Tune into the entire conversation here.

[MONICA] "In a nutshell, I'll say, 'Don't hold back.'"

"Don't hold back."

"Because there's something inside of you that can help someone else, probably multiple someones."

"Your experience, what you have lived to this point, is an inspiration to someone, and to hold back and hold that piece of yourself from the world because you're afraid of failure, afraid of success, afraid of the spotlight, whatever, holding that back is doing a disservice to the people around you and to the people that you could potentially uplift."

"So don't hold back."

Monica just delivered a powerful (and succinct) reminder to play your game all in and full out.

How can you step into, stay in, and share your power to make a difference today?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

The Productivity Equation

Productivity and progress are correlated, but productivity alone does not cause progress.

Remember that there's often a disconnect between causation and correlation.

Sacrificing at the altar of productivity without a clear and worthwhile aim is a recipe for frustration, exhaustion, and burnout.

Instead of blindly hustling and grinding your way to a finish line someone else set, play your game.

How?

Start with an end in mind. Know what you really want.

Then reason from first principles. 

What essential things are required to get the desired result, and how can you get them done with the least amount of risk, effort and the most options as you go?

A mentor shared an approach for helping define these essential elements that are crafted into a productivity equation* to help me close the gap between steps that correlate with success and steps that actually cause or at least encourage success.

Input Cost vs. Output Value

Compare the amount of time, attention, money, or effort you put into every task to the ROI (return on investment).

The greater the output value relative to the input cost, the greater your productivity is.

The results were startling when I applied this equation to all the activities I was busying myself with that were supposed to get me closer to what I wanted.

At least 80% of what I did daily gave me zero discernable return on that investment of time, attention, money, and effort.

Simply moving all those items to my stop-doing list dramatically improved the system reliability of my success plan.

Once you're clear enough about what you really want, the productivity equation helps you find what's missing, broken or needs work with your success plan and identify gaps where you can find leverage and force multipliers that will help optimize your systems.

Less is more. Try it.

Define a goal that matters and challenge yourself to identify three things that must be done well enough to achieve that goal. Apply the productivity equation to the time, attention, money, and effort you invest and track the returns. Iterate and improve your plan for a few weeks and watch what happens.

*h/t Rian Diot

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

Dr Jeff Spencer - "Don’t step onto the field until you’re ready."

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 Champion Mindset Cornerman, Dr. Jeff Spencer.

Tune into the entire conversation here.

[DR. JEFF] "Well, first off, a major tenet in the champion space is that you don't step onto the field until you're ready."

"Again, I think a lot of people prematurely step onto the field, fearing that if they don't take a step now that the universe will feel like it's not being honored because we're taking too much time. We need to have more faith in the universe to fill in all the gaps."

"Nobody that plays a big game ever looks at it like that. They make sure they check off all the boxes enough. I didn't say to be perfect. I said enough to know that they're ready to step onto the field."

"People also are sometimes premature because they feel like if I don't step onto the field right now somebody's gonna jump and cut in front of me and get first dibs about an idea that I've got. That's a fear-based decision that will backfire. It can't possibly get us to where we want to get to."

"Another reason why people have a tendency to jump too fast is everybody thinks 'Well, if you're stalled, you've got to think bigger.' The reason why you're stalling is you're not thinking big enough. I think you're going in just exactly the opposite direction."

"I think we need to learn the model and be confident in our capacity because scaling is you're just doing the same thing but at a different magnitude that you've acclimatized yourself to basically over time."

"So, I would just say 'Take your time man,' and make sure that you've got a model that you can follow that allows you to be able to progressively give yourself a chance to develop and learn the skill. Because if we don't, and we lose confidence in ourselves prematurely because it was too much too fast, then it's easy to get gun shy and talk ourselves into a much smaller game.”

[SCOTT] "Absolutely brilliant. I love that idea that we are sufficient as we strive. We can be both of these things all the time. Really, really profound."

Dr. Jeff just delivered a powerful reminder about time, receptivity, and restraint. How are you leveraging these skills today to help you get closer to what you wish to excel at?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!

What do you really want?

Are you ready to stop settling for less and start living the life you truly want? Follow these principles to learn how to identify and achieve what you really want from your life's next chapter.

What do you want in life?

It's the first questions I ask a new or prospective client.

Most find it a challenging, even impossible, question to answer.

I call it "the hard problem."

Most often, after a long pause, the first answer given is "More money" or "More time."

When I follow up with, "For what?" we're usually right back where we started.

What to do?

Here are some principles to consider.

Not all wants are created equal.

After your existential needs (food, water, safety), the next priorities are psychological needs like social connection and self-esteem. These all must come before we get to our wants around self-actualization.

Start with what you don't want.

It's often easier to define what you don't want. You can then reframe this as what you do.

Play your game.

Your wants and path to them are as unique as you are. Don't compare or measure your journey against anyone else's.

Keep open loops.

Get curious and stay curious. Consider as many options as you can imagine without attachment or expectations.

Know thyself.

What are your core values and talents? Who are the people who share your values and need your talents?

Look back.

What have you loved to do or found rewarding in the past? What achievements would you like to repeat?

Who are your heroes (and rivals)?

Who do you look up to? Who are you jealous of? What do these qualities reveal about your dreams and desires?

The process is the shortcut (and the reward).

Meaning, purpose, and fulfillment come from the intention and integrity of your aims and effort (even if things don't work out).

Distinguish wants from expectations.

We are all capable of achieving far more than we suspect. Get real about your inner dialogue around worthiness, self-limiting beliefs, and belonging.

Find your flow.

What activities absorb and energize you? Do more of that.

Think big picture.

Don't get caught up in the minutiae. Defining wants is an exercise in understanding the gestalt of aspirations. Goals are much more than simply the sum or combination of all their parts.

Wants aren't fixed.

You and your wants are works in progress. Clarify and iterate as you go. If you decide a want s no longer a want, choose something else instead. Rinse and repeat.

What's worth it?

What are you willing to work for? What are you ready to sacrifice? Vulnerability, courage, and resilience are required skills for success seekers nurtured by doing the work.

Final Thoughts

Getting clear about what you want in your life's next chapter is not about perfecting any or all of these principles. You simply must get them right enough to start iterating your way forward.

So, what do you really want?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative on Purpose

If this resonates, please share it with a friend!