What's Your Personal Ideology?

8 snips

Nov 26, 2025

Everyone has a personal ideology, whether they're aware of it or not. It's your unique rulebook that shapes how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. The importance of defining who you are is highlighted through an eye-opening coaching call with a client stuck in a rigid identity. Writing a 'Who I Am' document serves as a personal constitution to guide your values and growth. This clarity helps you respond to challenges authentically and choose relationships that align with your beliefs.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Client Went Political On A Call

Scott Smith recounts a coaching call where a client went political and dominated the conversation early on.
He used the moment to illustrate how being stuck in an identity prevents listening and growth.

INSIGHT

Decide Who You Are First

If you don't decide who you are, the world will decide for you and that determines how you're treated.
Deciding your identity changes how others perceive and interact with you.

ADVICE

Write A 'Who I Am' Document

Create a 'Who I Am' document to establish your beliefs, boundaries, and a foundation for growth and change.
Treat it as a living operating manual you can update as you evolve.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

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