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Sebastian Terry Talks About Living with Purpose to Build Momentum

Nov 3, 2024

Discover how tragedy sparked Sebastian Terry's 100-goal journey & learn his proven framework for living with purpose & building unstoppable momentum.

✍️ EPISODE OVERVIEW - Living with Purpose

In this powerful episode, Sebastian Terry shares his transformative journey that began with the tragic loss of a childhood friend at age 25. This pivotal moment led him to create a list of 100 meaningful goals that would completely reshape his life. From visiting death row inmates to delivering babies, Sebastian's adventures showcase how purposeful goal-setting can spark extraordinary life changes.

Over the past 13 years, Sebastian's personal quest has evolved into a movement, spawning books, TV shows, and documentaries. Now, through his corporate wellness initiatives, he helps others discover their core values and transform their lives through meaningful goal-setting and action-taking.

The conversation explores how tragedy often serves as a catalyst for change, but Sebastian emphasizes that we don't need to wait for rock bottom to start living with purpose. He shares his proven framework for identifying core life aspects and taking actionable steps toward meaningful goals, all while building unstoppable momentum.

đź“– CHAPTER SUMMARIES - Living with Purpose

1. The Wake-Up Call (0:00-6:45) Sebastian details how losing his friend Chris at age 25 sparked deep reflection about his own happiness. This led to the creation of his transformative list of 100 things, demonstrating how life-changing moments can catalyze powerful personal growth. The discussion explores why we often wait for adversity to make meaningful changes in our lives.

2. The Death Row Experience (14:01-21:15) A fascinating account of Sebastian's experience visiting a death row inmate, highlighting how stepping out of comfort zones and seeking unique experiences can broaden perspectives and deepen understanding of life. This story exemplifies how taking bold action on goals can lead to extraordinary life experiences.

3. The Core Aspects Framework (21:15-25:54) Sebastian Terry introduces his framework for identifying core life aspects, similar to spokes on a wheel, that contribute to overall life satisfaction. He emphasizes the importance of writing down goals and starting with simple, achievable steps to build momentum.

4. The Science of Goal Achievement (25:54-29:34) Discussion of the scientific basis for goal-setting, including how writing down goals and sharing them with accountability partners dramatically increases success rates. Sebastian shares research showing that simply writing down a goal increases achievement likelihood by 42%, while having an accountability partner raises it to 95%.

5. The Three-Step Momentum Formula (27:04-29:34) Sebastian Terry outlines his three-step formula for building momentum: creating fail-proof first steps, finding accountability partners, and committing to specific timeframes. He explains how this process triggers positive neurochemical responses that reinforce progress and motivation.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Living with Purpose

1. Write Down Your Goals - Research shows you're 42% more likely to achieve goals simply by writing them down. Create a visible list of your goals and keep them somewhere you'll see daily, like your office wall or bathroom mirror. Sebastian emphasizes that this visibility serves as a constant reminder and motivation, making your goals part of your daily consciousness and decision-making process.

2. The Power of Accountability - Having an accountability partner increases goal achievement likelihood by 95%. Choose someone specific for each goal and clearly define their role in supporting your journey. Regular check-ins and shared commitment create a support system that helps overcome obstacles and maintain consistent progress toward your objectives.

3. Start Small to Build Momentum - Begin with "fail-proof" first steps. For example, if your goal is reading 12 books a year, start with committing to read just one paragraph daily. This builds confidence and creates positive momentum. Small victories compound over time, creating sustainable habits that naturally evolve into larger accomplishments without overwhelming you. Read More: How to Create Momentum in Life

4. Create Your Life's Wheel - Identify 7-8 core aspects (or "spokes") of your life that matter most to you. Rate your satisfaction in each area from 1-10 to identify where to focus your improvement efforts. This visual representation helps maintain balance and ensures you're growing holistically rather than neglecting important life areas.

5. Don't Wait for Rock Bottom - While adversity often sparks change, you can choose to start your transformation journey today. Give yourself permission to reflect on what truly matters to you. Taking proactive steps toward personal growth prevents unnecessary suffering and allows you to shape your destiny intentionally.

6. The Eulogy Exercise - Write your own eulogy as if it were being read today. This powerful reflection tool helps identify gaps between your current life and desired legacy. Consider how you want to be remembered and what meaningful impact you wish to leave behind, then use these insights to guide your goals.

7. Release Feel-Good Chemicals - Goal-setting and pursuit naturally releases serotonin and dopamine, creating positive feedback loops that reinforce progress. Even small steps toward meaningful goals trigger these beneficial neurochemical responses. Understanding this biological reward system helps maintain motivation and creates natural addiction to positive growth.

8. Take Immediate Action - Transform dreams into achievements through consistent action. Create specific action plans with clear "who, what, and when" components for each goal. Break larger objectives into manageable steps and establish concrete deadlines to maintain forward momentum and prevent procrastination.

9. Focus on Meaningful Goals - Ensure your goals align with your core values rather than societal expectations. This alignment creates intrinsic motivation and sustainable momentum. By pursuing authentically meaningful objectives, you'll naturally find more energy and resilience to overcome obstacles along your journey. Read More: Which of the seven goal-setting steps is the most important?

10. Embrace Experiential Growth - Step outside your comfort zone to gain new perspectives and experiences. These challenges foster personal growth and build confidence for future goals. Like Sebastian's death row visit, unique experiences can profoundly impact your understanding of life and personal potential.

🥇 GOLDEN HABIT

"A 'Golden Habit' is the optimal habit to relieve a pain point/replace a bad habit because it's personalized to your DNA, goals, and lifestyle in order to maximally reduce the friction to form it.

The Golden Habit should be: - DESIRABLE: Should be enjoyable and rewarding. - PRACTICAL: Must easily integrate into one's existing routines. - IMPACTFUL: Expected to significantly enhance well-being."

This Episode's Golden Habit: Sebastian shares his golden habit at (31:21): Creating and maintaining a visible list of goals. He emphasizes keeping the list "front and center" where you'll see it daily, making it a natural part of your environment and routine.

Related Core Area:

Mindset Core - This habit addresses the pain point of feeling directionless and lacking purpose by providing clear, visible reminders of your goals and aspirations.

🚀 READY PLAYER ONE?

Are you ready to transform your life and achieve big through disciplined habits? It's time to take the valuable insights from today’s episode and put put them into action. Discipline isn't just about adhering to a schedule—it's about building a foundation that will catapult you toward success in all areas of your life.

OUR MISSION: Accelerate your growth in the 5 Key areas of life by making your habit transformation journey so simple, fun, and rewarding that your happiness becomes inevitable.

PRESS START NOW: Click HERE to dive deeper into the Moore Momentum System. Begin by taking our short quiz to quickly identify which of the areas of life you're struggling in most and discover the success habit to improve it. Don’t just dream about success—make it a reality.

Whether you're dealing with procrastination, lack of focus, or simply seeking a positive way to enhance your productivity, our system is designed to give you the tools you need to succeed. Start your journey today and see how small changes can lead to major transformations.

Are you ready to level up? The time is now—let’s build momentum together!

đź«… BIO - Sebastian Terry

Sebastian Terry is a bestselling author, TV host, and motivational speaker known for his "100 Things" movement. After losing a close friend at age 25, he embarked on an extraordinary journey to complete 100 life-changing goals, which evolved into a global phenomenon inspiring others to pursue their dreams.

His adventures have been documented in his book "100 Things: What's On Your List?", multiple TV shows, and documentaries. Today, Sebastian leads corporate wellness initiatives and speaks worldwide about purposeful goal-setting and personal transformation. His work has helped countless individuals and organizations identify their core values and take meaningful action toward their aspirations.

Through his speaking engagements and corporate programs, Sebastian continues to demonstrate how simple goal-setting techniques can spark extraordinary life changes and build unstoppable momentum toward personal and professional growth.

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Will Moore is a gamification, habits and happiness expert.

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