Don't Accept Your Own Excuses

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

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