Daily Boost - Motivation and Coaching

How to Slow Down Time

You think 2025 flew by? I get it. My whole family said the same thing at Thanksgiving. Everyone was busy, busy, busy all year. But when I asked what they actually accomplished, it was maybe one or two big things. That's the hustle trap. I spent this past year doing the opposite. I dropped almost everything that wasn't serving me. I focused on deep work in my passion zones. And you know what happened? The year felt like five years. Not because it dragged, but because I was actually present. Time slows down when you stop buzzing and start being there. Want to manufacture more time for yourself? I'll show you how. Featured Story Thanksgiving was chaotic this year. My wife calls it that. The family's getting bigger and crazier. Kids tearing up the house. Adults drinking far better wine than ever before. It was so damn fun. But I kept hearing the same thing as I spun around talking to people: "This year went so fast." Then they'd follow up with, "Next year I need to get control of my time." My family doesn't listen to my advice. They know I do the podcast and coach people, but I'm just Scott to them. They're not taking any advice from me whatsoever. But I couldn't help noticing they were all caught in the same trap I used to be in. Moving fast all year, thinking they're crushing it, but only accomplishing one or two real things. My son-in-law's big achievement? Buying a pool. He forgot to mention they had a baby. That's when it hit me why my year felt so long compared to theirs. Important Points When you're crazy busy with shallow work, time flies by and you accomplish almost nothing. Most people look back and realize their hectic schedule only produced one or two meaningful experiences. That's not living, that's surviving. Deep work in your passion zones actually slows down time and creates richer experiences. I stopped stoking the busyness. I dropped what wasn't serving me. I focused on what fires me up. This past year felt like five years because I was fully present. The secret isn't managing your craziness—it's stopping it entirely and holding your space. You don't need better time management. You need to let go of what everybody says you "must" do and protect the space you create for yourself. Memorable Quotes "Stand up, take a step, repeat. It is the world's simplest success recipe." "You're not going to manage your craziness. You stop doing it." "When you slow down and go deep, when you let the buzz just buzz around you and you start paying attention to what's truly important and experiential in your life, time slows down." Scott's Three-Step Approach Identify and drop what's not serving you, even if everyone says it's a must. Look at your life right now. What could you drop? Not drop and run, but responsibly let go or creatively wiggle your way out. Stop stoking the busyness. Hold your space and don't give it back to anyone or anything. Use the Perfect Week Planner to claim your time. Once you get control of your space, it's yours. Nobody else gets it. This is how you manufacture more time for yourself. Focus on deep work in your passion zones and stay present in experiences. Identify what fires you up. Spend more time there. Let the buzz buzz around you while you go deep in what matters. That's how time slows down. Chapter Notes 00:03 - Stand up, take a step, repeat: simplest success recipe 01:49 - Thanksgiving chaos: why everyone's year went so fast 04:37 - The big shift: I stopped doing almost everything 04:53 - Letting go of what doesn't serve you responsibly 05:46 - Getting bored and staying resolute in your space 06:22 - Deep work slows time: the passion zones approach Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Massive Action for Massive Success

I just hosted Thanksgiving for 15 people. Youngest was my grandson Evan at four months old. Oldest? That was me, cutting the turkey and saying the prayer. How did I get here? Same way you'll get where you want to go. By deciding what you want, paying the price, and taking massive imperfect action. As we head into year-end planning, I'm sharing the wisdom that separates dreamers from achievers. Less tactics, more framing for how to approach 2026 like someone who actually gets stuff done. Featured Story Picture this: I'm standing at the head of the table, carving the turkey, pouring the wine, saying the prayer. When did I go from sitting at the kids table to being the elder? Tick tock. That's what hit me hardest. Time doesn't wait. My son couldn't make it from Portland this year. The youngest at our table was four and a half months old. Beautiful boy, Evan. And somehow I became the beautiful man at the head of the table. The clock is ticking on whatever you want. There are benefits to getting older, sure. But the real benefit is learning that waiting costs you everything. Important Points * The bigger your dreams, the bigger your problems you'll need to solve. If you want what nobody else has, you'll solve problems nobody else will. It feels hard because you're going against the herd, and that's exactly how it should be. * The future value of your life depends on the current value of your effort. Most people fill their days with low-value activities like organizing their hard drive. High achievers focus on high-value work that actually moves them forward. * Never ending massive imperfect action is the key to everything. People who really want something make a big mess. I make a terrible mess. Part of working with me is cleaning up after me, because I'd rather take imperfect action than perfect inaction. Memorable Quotes "The future value of your life and your business depends on the current value of your effort." "You are the boss of you and it's a problem. Because since we're the boss of ourselves, we don't have to listen to ourselves, do we?" "Learning feels like you're doing, but you're not. You're not getting stuff done. So learn what you need to learn, then go do something with it." Scott's Three-Step Approach 1. Decide specifically what you want and own it completely. Don't ask ChatGPT about your goals. Don't wait for permission. Write down what's in your heart and say that's what you're going to do. Anything less is what ordinary people do, and you're not ordinary. 2. Start early and do first things first. Get the most important work done before the day begins, before emails arrive, before the phone rings. Pick your first task, finish it, then move to the next. No multitasking. Just systematic progress until it's done. 3. Take massive imperfect action without accepting your excuses. Make a mess. You can clean it up later or have someone else clean it up for you. The key is getting moving, not getting it perfect. Chapter Notes 0:00 - Post-Thanksgiving wisdom on massive action 2:45 - Why bigger dreams mean bigger problems to solve 4:20 - The mistake of not owning your goals completely 5:35 - Start early: doing important work before day begins 6:50 - Deep work changes everything: two hours daily 8:15 - Massive imperfect action beats perfect planning Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Do Leftovers Make Happiness?

My wife Joy is a creature of habit. She has a rule. After Thanksgiving, nobody goes to a restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner until every single piece of Thanksgiving food is gone. Magically, it always lasts right through Sunday evening. One year we went to someone else's house for Thanksgiving. Joy brought leftovers home. The next day she went to the store, came back, and started cooking. I'm thinking you've been cooking for days. You brought leftovers home. What are you cooking? She said she's cooking leftovers. She purchased a small turkey and all the ingredients to keep her routine for the weekend. Featured Story I wanted a dog that looked good in my Jeep. Got an Australian Shepherd named Levi because Border Collies are crazy and Aussies are just stubborn. Turns out I should've gotten the crazy dog because the stubborn one is exactly like his dad. I made rookie mistakes training Levi. One day my trainer said something that changed everything. For a dog, one time means all the time. Every time you let them do something new, they're just going to keep doing it. That applies to more than dogs. Joi schedules everything. I literally schedule a spontaneous Saturday date for her. I tell my wife to put in her predictable routine that we're going to be spontaneous on Saturday so she's okay with it. Don't surprise her. A couple years ago we went elsewhere for Thanksgiving and Joy had a real problem. She has a routine. When a certain time of year comes, she gets the recipes out and does the thing. Now she's not doing the thing. The look on her face when I figured out what she was doing. Cheating leftovers. She was lying to me about leftovers. Important Points For a dog, one time means all the time, and that principle applies to building habits and routines in your own life too. What makes you happy might seem crazy to someone else, but if it brings you joy, just do what you do. Respecting other people's routines and quirks is easier when you understand they need those patterns to be happy. Memorable Quotes "For a dog, one time means all the time. Every time you let him do something new, they're just going to keep doing it." "I literally schedule a spontaneous Saturday date for her. She has to know we're going to be spontaneous on Saturday." "Do leftovers make you happy? What makes you happy? Do what you do. Just do what you do." Scott's Three-Step Approach Understand that consistency creates happiness for some people, even if their routines seem excessive to you. Figure out what actually makes you happy and build those patterns into your life without apology. If you're married to someone with strong routines, just go with it and maybe hide half the Thanksgiving food so everyone gets leftovers. Chapter Notes 1:15 - Holiday season stress and choosing to be happy 2:18 - Getting Levi: wanted a dog for my Jeep 3:17 - Dog training wisdom that applies to everything 3:50 - Joi is a creature of habit and routine 4:51 - The serious nature of the leftover problem 5:53 - She was cooking leftovers that weren't leftovers 7:05 - This year's solution: double the food, hide half Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://DailyBoostPodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Wisdom of Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving. My entire family comes over today. Four kids between us, six grandkids including a four-month-old. Some in-laws too. This is the place to come now and I'm so grateful for it. I also understand it won't go on forever. Guys miss the whole grateful thing sometimes. I wrote A Gratitude Journal for Men a few years ago because I kept seeing men treat gratitude like another task. Like something they have to go do. Just be grateful. That's all. But in our fast-paced world, the daily activities fly by and get forgotten. So today I'm sharing some of my favorite gratitude quotes and a little scotumtary in between. Featured Story I had a real feeling when I got up to record this. I was feeling very grateful. Maybe it's the time of year. But I wanted to dive into what I haven't thought about lately. Not just expand on all the things I'm grateful for, but recognize the ones I've been missing. Sometimes it's hard to admit you don't live in gratitude. That's why the wisdom of others is so cool. Little things we blow off turn out to be really big. I've got regrets. When someone tells me they have no regrets, I say liar. Maybe you've found a way to deal with them, but we all have them. Usually my regrets involve little things I didn't pay attention to that turned out to be really big. Important Points Enjoy the little things because one day you'll look back and realize they were actually the big things all along. If you're not thankful for what's in your hand right now, you won't be thankful for what you're going to get either. Gratitude must be produced, discharged, and used up for it to exist at all, like electricity that disappears if not actively generated. Memorable Quotes "Enjoy the little things. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things." "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." "Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity. It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all." Scott's Three-Step Approach Write three things you're grateful for before bed each night to reset your brain and build the gratitude habit. Stop treating gratitude like another task on your to-do list and just be grateful for what's already in your hand. Look for the little things today because they're probably the big things you'll remember years from now. Chapter Notes 1:14 - Family Thanksgiving and feeling grateful this morning 1:49 - Why guys miss the whole gratitude thing 2:34 - First wisdom: enjoy the little things quote 3:39 - Collection of gratitude wisdom from great thinkers 5:37 - Gratitude is like electricity, produce it or lose it 6:24 - Buddhist proverb: enough is a feast 7:11 - Transform common days into thanksgivings Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://DailyBoostPodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What's Your Personal Ideology?

You have an ideology whether you know it or not. Not political. We're not going there. I'm talking about your personal rulebook. The boundaries you set. The values you stand for. Who you actually are when nobody's watching. If you haven't decided who you are, the world will decide for you. They'll tell you who you're going to be and that's how you'll get treated. I created something years ago called a Who I Am document. It's my operating manual. My personal constitution. It establishes what I believe and serves as my foundation for growth and change. Featured Story A client went political in the first 30 seconds of our group coaching call. What's a guy to do when that happens? I let it go for about 30 seconds then closed it off. But by the end of the call, something became clear. She's so stuck in who she thinks she is that she won't listen to anybody else. I don't understand that concept. I know who I am. I have my own values. But I'm open to just about anything. You have a better way to lose weight than mine? I'm not going to defend my way. I'll listen and take yours if it works better. That's the difference between knowing who you are and being stuck in who you think you are. Important Points If you don't decide who you are, the world decides for you and that determines how you get treated every single day. Your personal ideology is your rulebook for life including how you see yourself, how you respond to situations, and who you hang out with. Writing a Who I Am document forces you to be honest about who you really are, not who you think you are or want to be. Memorable Quotes "If you haven't decided what you're all about, then everybody else is just going to decide what you're all about and that's how you're going to get treated." "You hang out with somebody that doesn't share your values? You're compromising. You're now becoming them." "You can't be a grown ass adult if you don't know who you are, can you?" Scott's Three-Step Approach Document who you really are by writing down how you see yourself, how others see you, and how you'd like to be seen. Define your non-negotiables including the values people must share to be in your life and how you respond in different situations. Track yourself daily to discover who you really are versus who you think you are because the answers will surprise you. Chapter Notes 1:05 - Personal ideology: it's about you not politics 1:56 - Do you really know who you are? 3:04 - Ideology defined: what you stand for in the world 4:05 - Creating my Who I Am document years ago 5:03 - Three questions that reveal everything about you 7:12 - Who you hang out with defines who you become 8:43 - Daily awareness diary tracks the real you Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: @heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://DailyBoostPodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]