Daily Boost — Clear Thinking for Real Life

I've been noticing something about you. And me. We're saying yes too much.

Saturday afternoon hits. You're deep into Netflix or binging Guy Fieri. Then you remember you committed to dinner that night. Good friends. You really want to go. But in that moment, you're thinking, why did I say yes?

Been there. Done that. Last two weeks straight. All self-inflicted.

The small yeses become big ones. The automatic yeses stack up. And suddenly you're exhausted from conversations you never agreed to have. Today we're fixing that by learning how to say yes to yourself more.

Featured Story

I'm standing in my kitchen, coffee in hand, phone out, scrolling through messages. They all seem so urgent. So important. Somebody writes something really nice. I can tell they ran it through ChatGPT to make it sound good. Too slick. You're not that nice.

But I'm compelled to say yes to all of it.

Nothing dramatic is happening. Just normal deadlines. Normal requests. Expectations that weren't even announced but somehow just showed up. And I realize something quiet but powerful. It wasn't the work making my life complicated. It was all the yeses. Small ones. Automatic ones. Yeses I never consciously chose. All self-inflicted because I allowed them into my life.

Important Points

The stress you feel isn't from big decisions but from the constant volume of little yeses piling up every day.

When someone gives you something first, the law of reciprocity kicks in and you've just stacked up obligations.

Most of us are exhausted from conversations we never agreed to have and urgency that was never actually even ours.

Memorable Quotes

"If you're constantly saying yes to others first, you're automatically saying no to yourself and your dreams."

"When generosity shows up before they ask, it builds trust and connection, but make no mistake, you just said yes."

"Simplicity isn't doing less for the sake of it, but consciously choosing what actually deserves your precious yes."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Pause before agreeing to anything and create a clear pre-planned response for when people ask you for things today.

Either decline the gift upfront or accept it while clearly stating you don't accept the obligation that comes with it.

Practice going dark on requests that don't deserve your energy because not everything actually needs an answer.

Chapters

0:02 - You've been saying yes way too much lately

2:07 - The kitchen moment when everything felt urgent

5:18 - Decision fatigue is killing your energy slowly

7:13 - The law of reciprocity is trapping you daily

11:09 - Two simple ways to escape the obligation cycle

13:04 - Pre-planned responses will save your sanity

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

Email: [email protected]

Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith

Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove

Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook

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Life feels chaotic and random until you realize it's just fast. I discovered this standing in front of an old pinball machine at a friend's house in Daytona Beach.

The bells, the bumpers, the ball bouncing everywhere. It's exactly like your day-to-day life. The difference between average players and great ones isn't effort. It's timing and awareness.

Great players don't hit harder. They hit smarter. They wait. They watch the speed and control their response. Most of us aren't bad at the game. We're just playing like it's our first turn instead of learning the patterns.

Featured Story

I'm standing in my friend's house, staring at this vintage pinball machine that's been in his family since it was brand-new. I tell him it looks exactly like life.

You get launched out of the chute when you're born. The ball explodes into chaos. Bells ringing, lights flashing, bumpers everywhere. You're hitting those flippers fast, trying to keep everything in play. Score going up, score going down.

The game feels completely random because it moves faster than we can process. But it's not random at all. It's a closed system with the same angles, same physics, same patterns. The only thing that changes is how well you understand the game.

Important Points

Life isn't random. It's fast. Once you learn the patterns, timing, and physics, everything changes for the better.

Your brain goes offline under speed and pressure. A peaceful base lets you respond instead of constantly reacting.

The game doesn't change. What changes is where your attention goes while everything is moving fast around you.

Memorable Quotes

"Great players in life don't hit harder. They hit smarter. They wait, watch, and control their timing perfectly."

"My experience is what I agree to attend to. The game doesn't change, what changes is your attention." - William James

"Most people aren't bad at the game. They're just still playing like it's their very first turn at the machine."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Stop reacting to every ball that comes your way. Learn to watch the speed and the patterns before you respond to life.

Create awareness of what's getting your attention. Once you see it clearly, you can change absolutely everything.

Find your peaceful base outside of the chaos. From there you can time your moves right and stay in the game much longer.

Chapters

0:02 - Life is randomly fast (or fastly random)

0:27 - Patriots plane and why winners don't show losses

2:33 - Finding a pinball machine from my childhood

5:07 - Life gets launched just like a pinball game

7:52 - Average players vs great players who watch

10:42 - Staying in the game longer gets you bonus points

12:22 - Learning to play while the game is happening

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

Email: [email protected]

Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith

Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove

Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mondays keep showing up whether you're ready or not. Every single week, they arrive without warning, and suddenly you're halfway through before you even realize what happened.

You probably planned to do things differently this week. But then the phone rings, the inbox explodes, and autopilot takes over.

The gap between Sunday optimism and Monday reality is real. You don't need better planning. You need one conscious moment before the momentum kicks in. Stop for a second and notice where you are. That's your reset. That's how you get back in your week instead of letting it happen to you.

Featured Story

I had a client on the phone who was telling me about her goals. I asked her to share them, and she said, "Hang on."

Then I heard her digging through her desk.

I cannot tell you how many times I've used the metaphor of goals tucked away in the bottom drawer. And there it was, happening in real time.

If you're going to write something down and commit to it, have it in front of you. Because somewhere between planning your week and Monday morning, something else takes over. Autopilot kicks in. You're reaching for your phone without thinking, checking Facebook, letting your inbox decide your priorities.

Important Points

Awareness isn't about planning better. It's about catching yourself before autopilot runs your entire week away.

Monday happens in your habit brain. If you want different results, you need one conscious moment to interrupt it.

The week happens whether you reset or not. People still email, life gets loud—but awareness puts you back in it.

Memorable Quotes

"If you're unhappy and you don't want to show up, your boss knows it. As soon as he can, he's getting rid of you."

"You don't need to plan better. You just need one conscious moment right before all the Monday momentum takes over."

"Awareness doesn't stop the week from happening. It puts you right back in it. Show up awake. That's your reset."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Notice when autopilot kicks in. The phone, the inbox, the busyness before breakfast—catch yourself moving unconsciously.

Create an intentional check-in. Pick a moment you already do—shower, brushing teeth, dressing—and use it to reset.

Ask yourself if you're online or just moving. Then decide what you actually want from this week and choose it.

Chapters

0:00 - Monday's the #1 sick day (we know why you called in)

2:28 - Mondays never wait until you're actually ready

4:26 - The gap between Sunday plans and Monday reality

6:31 - When autopilot takes over your whole morning

9:01 - Your habit brain runs on Monday automatically

10:30 - The intentional reset moment you're missing

13:14 - Awareness puts you back in control of the week

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

Email: [email protected]

Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith

Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove

Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That voice in your head isn't noise. It's your brain trying to coach you through life. I talk to myself constantly, and science actually backs it up as a legit tool for clarity, focus, and emotional regulation. Athletes do it. High performers do it intentionally. Kids do it naturally before we tell them to stop. If you've ever been caught talking to yourself, congratulations. You were actually paying attention to the person who understands you best. The real goal isn't silencing that voice. It's making sure it's on your side.

Featured Story

A few weeks ago, I hit a breaking point. After 19 years of this show, I was bored and no longer walking my talk. The marketplace changed, people listen differently, and I'd outgrown the pure motivation thing but kept forcing it. One day, I just broke. Said screw it. You heard it show up on a Monday when I asked for feedback on my theme song and blew everything up. Nothing faked, nothing planned. Just me going all in or not at all. Within a week, I settled into what I think is the most authentic work I've ever done. And you're only seeing about 20% of what I'm capable of.

Important Points

Your inner voice isn't random chatter. It's emotional regulation, problem-solving, and your brain coaching you forward.

When you hear your own voice, something in you knows you exist. It's grounding, awareness, proof you're really here.

Self-criticism becomes self-sabotage fast. Make sure that voice in your head is on your side, not working against you.

Memorable Quotes

"I'm not telling you how to vote or see the world. Personal growth doesn't work when someone hands you a worldview."

"The goal isn't to silence the voice in your head. The goal is making sure it's on your side and helping you move."

"Talking to yourself doesn't mean you're crazy. It means you're meeting with the one person who actually gets you."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Notice whether your inner voice is coaching you forward or criticizing you backwards. Pay attention to it right now.

Interrupt the negative pattern when it starts. Reframe it, redirect it, and move yourself in a helpful direction.

Be kind to that voice because you're spending your life together. Make it a conversation worth having every day.

Chapters

0:00 - Happy Friday, and why I think out loud every day

1:06 - The breaking point that changed everything

2:24 - Separating teachings from personal views

6:01 - Do you ever actually talk to yourself out loud?

8:30 - The science behind self-talk actually works

11:59 - Is your inner voice coaching or criticizing?

13:50 - Having a meeting with the one expert who gets you

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

Email: [email protected]

Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith

Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove

Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever been told you should have a crappy day? That's exactly what happened when Adam from my inner circle challenged me to record during a rough patch. Plot twist: I couldn't do it. I don't have many bad days anymore, and when I do, I can't imagine passing that off on you. But I can share what I've learned about flipping those moments when gray skies show up. Because sometimes bad days last for months, and every human I know has them. The question isn't whether you'll have them, it's what you do when they arrive.

Featured Story

Adam cornered me on an inner circle call. "Scott, do a podcast on a crappy day. An authentic one." He wanted me to stop hiding behind the optimism and show the real stuff. I'm having a pretty good day, so this can't be it. "Come on, say something to make it a crappy day," he pushed. I couldn't manufacture it. But I promised the next time I have one, I'll do it just for him. And I'll blame it on him too. Adam's from South Africa, a hot mess who knows it, but he's a good hot mess. His challenge got me thinking. What if instead of waiting for a crappy day, I shared how I actually deal with them?

Important Points

If it didn't kill you, it's not that bad. When everything feels like it's ending, remember you're still standing.

Get grounded fast by asking what's really going on. Life makes you whine and exaggerate, but it's never that bad.

Find a path out even when you don't want to. You might be the only one who can fix it, and that's lonely but powerful.

Memorable Quotes

"A shot of bourbon sometimes makes you happy for the moment, but it doesn't fix anything. You know what to do instead."

"The obstacles are the way. They're not things you avoid, they are your path forward. The challenge is transformation."

"Sometimes I look in the mirror and say, okay dumbass, you know better. You know what to do. Get out there and do it."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Get grounded by reframing what's actually happening now. Once you see it clearly, you can do something about it.

Find even a tiny spark of hope to hold onto. A picture, your dog's wiggle butt, anything that moves you forward.

Take one physical action now. Stand up, take a step, repeat. Once you're moving, everything changes naturally.

Chapters

0:02 - Adam's challenge: do a podcast on a crappy day

1:23 - Why I can't fake a bad mood for the content

1:59 - How bourbon and yelling work (but don't really)

5:10 - Get grounded: what's really going on here?

7:18 - Find hope in your grandson's smile or dog's butt

9:22 - Real friends judge you (and that's beautiful)

11:00 - Obstacles are the way, and random happy thoughts

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

Email: [email protected]

Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith

Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove

Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices