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Daily Boost — Motivation and Personal Growth — Education
Daily Boost — Motivation and Personal Growth

The Daily Boost is a weekday personal growth podcast for adults who live in the real world and want real results.

Welcome to the School of Scott!

About 10 minutes a day. No canned content, no recycled material — host Scott Smith and his practical way of understanding how life, business, and the world actually work.

Some days he’ll pump you up. Some days he’ll make you think. Some days you’ll love him. Some days you’ll wonder why you listened. Every day, you’ll know exactly what they call him: the nicest renegade you’ll ever meet.

Smile. Nod. Change everything. That’s the code.

If you played by the rules. If you built a good life — career, business, relationships. If you decided you want more. The Daily Boost is your show.

Topics include personal growth, motivation, purpose, decisions, work, money, relationships, time, and keeping your head straight when things get complicated.

20 years. 5,000+ episodes. 130+ million downloads worldwide.

Every day, the School of Scott is in session with a new episode that stands on its own. It’s always real, and occasionally pretty funny — because if you can’t laugh, what’s the point?

Copyright: © Copyright 2024 • Motivation To Move, LLC • All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Latest Episodes:

Why Thursday is The Best Planning Day Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Why Thursday is The Best Planning Day

I have a saying -

“Next year begins THIS year, next month begins THIS month, next week begins THIS week, and that happens on a Thursday.”

If you want to stay on track, accomplish your goals, and enjoy life - you MUST take control of your calendar.

It’s easier than you think:

1) Life will come at you FAST! Schedule any significant and can’t-miss life event at least one year in advance. Put it on the calendar and block it out. You can always change your mind. And do it on a Thursday.

2) Hold your space. Decide in advance what you will be doing next week. When will you work on projects? When will you see clients? When will you have fun? And do it on a Thursday.

3) Never end one week without locking in your schedule for the next - and stick to it. And do it on a Thursday?

Why Thursday?

Because it allows you to completely relax for the weekend by already knowing what the next week will bring.

The future is always brighter when your day-to-day focus fulfills your goals this week. Focus, my friend. Focus.

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Reach Your Dreams By Avoiding Resistance Nov 15, 2023

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Reach Your Dreams By Avoiding Resistance

Does this happen to you?

A great idea pops into your head. Your heart fills with excitement. Nothing can stop you - except that you feel like you are stuck in quicksand. The more you fight, the deeper you sink. The only way out seems to be to give up on your dream - again.

Let’s not do that this time.

Feeling inspired to make a change in your life is terrific. It can also be scary. The result is nearly always feeling a sense of resistance as you move forward.

This happens because your mind is wired to survive. That means avoiding anything bad and seeking everything good. Until you know it’s good for sure, everything is bad.

Resistance is the automatic result.

When you are ready to act on your inspiration, focus on the good coming and do your best to resist your natural inclination to fall to the evil power of resistance.

You could say, “It’s about resisting your resistance.”

Inspiration Without Resistance. That’s how you live the life you’ve always wanted.

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Practicing the Focus-Finish-Focus Model Nov 14, 2023

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Practicing the Focus-Finish-Focus Model

Wouldn’t it be great if you could create more time in your day?

One way to think about it is to prioritize the projects already on your plate.

That requires a simple understanding:

1) Working on multiple products simultaneously only delays completing all the projects. Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time.

2) What makes this such a great practice is that when you complete a project, not only is it off your plate, but it begins producing your expected results and also frees up time to move on to your next project.

The next time that you are trying to find more time, ask -

“What can I finish right now that will give me more time tomorrow - and every day after that?”

Psychologically speaking, when practicing a focus-finish-focus model; your mind also experiences time differently. In the moment, time seems to be faster. After your projects are completed, your memories expand, and it seems like time has slowed down.

That’s what they call a Mind Warp - and it happens daily.

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Opportunity Cost Decision Making Nov 13, 2023

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Opportunity Cost Decision Making

Do you have too many options and are having difficulty choosing?

You may have heard of a concept called "Opportunity Cost." Some consider it a fancy term for "trade-off." In other words, every time you choose, there is a trade-off to consider.

I find it easier to use extreme discrimination to weed out less-than-ideal opportunities. And you can do that with one question -

"Does this opportunity provide the fastest and most direct path to reach my goals?"

Before we go on, it's easy to look at almost any opportunity and justify a path, especially if you are being persuaded by someone else.

And Opportunity Cost is not some personal development success hack. It's actually in your mind as a survival tool. It's your mind deciding how to expend energy most efficiently.

What was that question again?

"Does this opportunity provide the fastest and most direct path to reach my goals?"

If you want to break free from a stalled life, you must eliminate less efficient opportunities.

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Letting Mentors Find YOU Nov 10, 2023

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Letting Mentors Find YOU

You've set a goal and are working hours to get what you want.

Why is everything moving so slowly?

Larry was a mentor of mine when I was in my twenties. He owned a business, made an exceptional living, and, after hiring me to work for him, took me under his wing. It was a relationship that lasted for years - although I'm sure I didn't make it easy.

That's the thing about being a young, bright-eyed dreamer with lots of talent and little patience. It's easy to see what others have, set an arbitrary date on a calendar, and expect everything to go your way.

One day, I pinned Larry in his office and was making my best case for a raise. I was sure he had gobs of cash, and I deserved my share.

After all, I was 26 years old, so it was time that I had a big house and a fancy car like him.

That's when Larry said something that changed everything -

"Scott, sometimes you must keep showing up long enough for the right people to notice. Keep doing a good job, and they'll step up."

Of course, Larry was already stepping up and was being very generous. I'm not sure I knew that, and I wouldn't say I liked his answer. I'm also sure I stomped out of his office and gossiped about him in the kitchen.

Over the years, though, I noticed there seems to be a hidden layer of successful people all around me. They were keeping an eye out for somebody like me. Larry was right.

The person who can help make your life better is not always the person standing in front of you. It might be the person off to the side that is watching your actions.

If you give it enough time, no matter what you do, when you least expect it, somebody will say, "We need to talk. It's time we do something together."

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Don't Become a Negotiating Underdog Nov 09, 2023

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Don't Become a Negotiating Underdog

I was rushing through Atlanta Airport after an entire day of negotiating with a client. My flight was in 30 minutes, so I was beginning to think the deal would not happen.

That's when things got interesting.

I've spent many days negotiating over the years and have grown confident in closing deals. I always think I'm going to win. Still, today's game wasn't over.

As we approached the Gate area, my client guided me into the Food Court. He pulled out the contract and replaced my fee with a smaller number. Then, he handed me the pen and said, "If you can do it for that, I'll sign right now."

Checking my watch and not wanting to miss my flight, I almost took the deal. After all, winners get deals done. But, experience has taught me something else. Business deals that start poorly rarely get better. I decided to turn his less-than-classy negotiating gambit on its head.

As humans, we are hard-wired to survive and thrive. As much as I wanted to take the deal to feed my family, I knew I wouldn't be thriving. I also knew my client needed what I would do for him; my price was fair, and more importantly, he feared I wouldn't do it.

We all feel like the underdog when negotiating. It goes both ways.

With that I said,

"If you can sign the original deal before I get on the plane, I'll do it. Otherwise, I'll have to pass. I've enjoyed spending the day with you."

He who speaks first loses. I kept my mouth shut.

Thirty seconds later, he signed the original deal, gave me a deposit, and asked, "When can we get started?"

The relationship lasted for years, and we never had that experience again. It turned out to be an excellent deal for both of us.

Always keep in mind that we all feel like the underdog when negotiating. It will serve you well.

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Leadership in Times of Conflict Nov 08, 2023

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Leadership in Times of Conflict

I know that you want to be a better leader. I also know that you hate and don't want anything to do with conflict - especially since I can hear you saying —

"Why can't we all get along?"

I get it. Saying the word "No" is hard enough. Sometimes, saying "Yes" when others agree or disagree with your choice can be even more difficult.

"Why can't we all get along?"

The answer is that we can. However, the truth is that conflict will always happen whenever more than two people get together. Even if there is a common goal and everyone is on the same page. Conflict will always play a role in your success.

What?

We're on the same page, agree with each other, want the same result, and there's still conflict?

"Why can't we all get along?"

Yes. No matter how positive your project is, everybody has a different idea of how to reach the outcome. Everybody has an individual right way and wrong way of doing things.

As a leader, when you approach conflict as a simple "Y" on the road of progress, things change. It becomes a decision that is part of the process and leads to the outcome everybody desires.

Leaders, Managers, heck, Mom's and Dad's - anybody responsible for moving forward eventually learns to navigate through conflict. It’s just a part of life.

Leaders don't get emotionally fired up, yell and scream, or freak out in some other creative way. Conflict is just an indication that you are progressing closer to your goal.

The faster you accept conflict, the sooner you can resolve the obstacle and reach your goal. Everybody will respect and appreciate you. They will also remember you for helping all involved achieve success.

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Happiness Is Learning Something New Nov 07, 2023

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Happiness Is Learning Something New

In my work, it's not unusual for somebody to seek guidance. Most are contemplating a change or frustrated with the status quo.

Every conversation begins with me asking —

"What are you trying to figure out?"

To which people say, "I don't know, that's why I'm talking to you! I want to start over."

Now, there’s a funny thing about living inside of your own head for your entire life. You probably already know what you want and just won’t admit it.

Usually a combination of fear of change and FOMO, fear of missing out is driving your forward while locked in the same place.

If you find yourself stuck, you may find yourself thinking that you just want to toss everything out and start over.

Forget the fact that it’s not possible anyway. There is good reason not to start from scratch.

Remember all those years living inside your mind?

Somewhere inside of you, there is lots of experience and wisdom. Over the years, you paid a hefty price for that knowledge. Although it may sound like a good idea, not only should you never give up what you've learned. It's not like we have a Men In Black "Flashy Thing" to reformat the hard drive you call your mind.

A better way is to become an absolute beginner and learn a new skill, preferably with a mentor's help to show you the way while your previous experience guides you.

Sometimes, as you grow older, getting wiser requires going back to 1st Grade.

When you do, your brain uses its incredible plasticity and gets excited by learning something new. Then, it integrates it with what you already know. You are, in fact, a beginner and a Master at the same time. That creates excitement, motivation, and happiness, and we all can use more of that.

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How Passion Creates Motivation Nov 06, 2023

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How Passion Creates Motivation

Motivation is always lurking in our minds. Even if we're not thinking about it.

My wife, Joi, is a good example.

Take one look at her, and it's easy to see Joi takes care of herself. She gets up every day and eats a healthy breakfast. Then, she dresses in her workout clothes and, without exception, exercises. No matter how late she went to bed or how late I slept in, Joi gets out of bed and heads to the gym.

Since it's evident that Joi walks her walk, it's not uncommon for people to ask, "How do you do it?" — as if she is a member of "The Secret Society of Highly Motivated People Club."

It's not that complicated.

I joke with Joi that she is my sexy, predictable, exciting, and somewhat dull wife. While that may sound terrible, and I wouldn't say it around Valentine's Day, I probably should. Joi takes it as a compliment —

"I know. It's who I am and what I do. I don't think about it. I want to feel and look a certain way, so I do what it takes."

Don't let her fool you. She thinks about it a lot, or at least she does until the magic of motivation arrives in full force.

Her vision of herself becomes her passion. That leads to massive motivation, discipline, and action. As good results arrive, the repetition action transforms into life-long habits and delivers life-long results.

That's how you get what you want.

The pain of exercising your motivational muscle always feels better than the frustration of thinking about what you want for too long.

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Some Things Are Not Optional Nov 03, 2023

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Some Things Are Not Optional

It happens to all of us.

We're going about our day, hot on the trail of checking off items on our never-ending To-Do list. Then, we discovered that we didn't get everything done before time ran out.

When my Son was entering the workforce, we would often find time to catch up on weekends. He was trying to navigate the business world while balancing his life. He had a fast-paced job and had become a productivity ninja. He was proud of his color-coded To-Do list and calendar, but he had a problem -

"Dad, no matter how organized I am, I still can't get everything done. I'm writing everything down, and I'm working through it, and I still run out of time. What am I not doing right?"

My first thought was how happy I was that he had the clarity of mind to look beyond the obvious solution. Then, I had a few questions -

You say you have accounted for everything. How much time did you allocate for eating lunch or running down to the coffee shop today?

How many times did you visit the restroom, and how long did it take?

On your commute, how much time did you spend at the traffic lights?

I stopped.

"What does that have to do with my getting my work done?" he asked.

Nothing, but you still have to get that stuff done. And thanks for making my point.

What my Son had discovered is what I call "Non-Ops" — the non-optional things of life.

Non-Ops are a never-ending string of activities that require our attention. They never go away and sneak up without you knowing. If you don't account for the Non-Ops of life, you'll never get to the optionals of life.

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