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The YouSchool PodcastAuthor: Scott Schimmel
Go to our YouTube channel to watch the episodes (just search The YouSchool) My nightmare at 20 years old was that I would wake up at 40 and feel deep regret that I lived the wrong life- a really nice, predictable, and boring story belonging to someone else. If you had told me back then that there was actually a roadmap, a step-by-step curriculum to walk through that would help me put all the pieces of my life together and set me on a path to build an authentic, meaningful life- I wouldve done anything to get it. It matters now more than ever. Right alongside planning for your future is living well now. Were at an urgent time in our world: mental health / unemployment and The Great Resignation... Building a Meaningful Life isnt something you just close your eyes and wish for. Its not something only a few people get lucky enough to experience. You cant just put your head down, do what youre supposed to and try hard, and expect it all to work out. Its something you can design. And everyone deserves the opportunity to build a meaningful life. The thing about life, though, is there are no black and white answers. What weve discovered over a decade of working with more than 20,000 students, hundreds of educators, over 1,500 military service members through their transition to the civilian world, and countless conversations with parents, elite athletes, therapists, neuroscientists, and researchers are: There are 30 Critical Questions everyone must answer for themselves so their identity is defined, their purpose is clear, and they have what they need to build healthy relationships. Those are the pillars, and answering those questions will give you the foundation you need so you can make wiser choices about your career, feel alive as you pursue a mission and contribute to a cause bigger than yourself, experience inner peace as your inner and outer lives become more congruent, navigate the complexity of friendships so you can find the belonging you long for, and feel gratef Language: en Genres: Education, Kids & Family, Parenting, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Guiding Your Kids to THEIR Good Life: Intrinsic Drive
Thursday, 4 December, 2025
Episode Overview Host: Scott SchimmelTheme: This episode dives into one of the most critical questions for every kid trying to build a meaningful life: What makes you unique? Scott explores how helping kids identify their intrinsic patterns—what naturally flows from them—is key to motivation, confidence, and direction. This episode explores how understanding a kid’s uniqueness can give them clarity and confidence to make better life choices—especially in a world that keeps pushing them to conform or chase someone else's definition of success. Key Quotes & Highlights “We don’t need to teach our kids to throw a dart at a career board.” “The worst advice is probably: ‘It’ll all work out eventually.’” “Extrinsic goals sound smart, but they rarely feel satisfying.” “Kids need help to pay attention to what’s already wired into them.” Major Highlights: Upstream Challenges: Kids today face nonstop pressure—from college competition, AI job market disruption, and social media telling them what to want. That noise makes it harder than ever to figure out who they are and what to do with their lives. Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters: Drawing from Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan), Scott explains how intrinsic pursuits—goals and activities that flow from genuine curiosity and joy—are more sustainable, fulfilling, and authentic than those driven by external pressure. The Persona Trap: Scott shares his personal story of picking a respectable path (finance) as a young teen—not because it fit, but because it got praise. That experience helped shape his passion for helping kids avoid the same trap of external validation over self-knowledge. The Magic of Question Two: “What makes you unique?” isn’t fluffy—it’s a foundation for building a meaningful life. It helps kids make aligned choices and gives parents a better lens for how to guide and encourage their kids. What to Look For: Kids’ patterns of curiosity, creativity, and resilience are clues. Listen for what lights them up, what feels natural to them, and what they keep returning to. That’s their “magic.” Timestamps 00:08 – Setting the scene: why today’s kids face a harder road to identity 02:35 – The finance persona story: chasing validation instead of authenticity 05:10 – What Self-Determination Theory teaches us about human motivation 08:00 – The difference between intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation 10:45 – Why “just go where the jobs are” is the worst advice 13:15 – The purpose of the 30 Critical Questions series 15:00 – What adults can do: become better mirrors, not fixers 16:45 – A better question to ask your kid tonight 18:00 – Wrap-up and call to action Try This With Your Kid Tonight at dinner or in the car, ask:“What’s something that feels easy or fun for you, but seems hard for other people?”Let them talk. Then listen again tomorrow. Their answers might just be the start of something meaningful. Mentioned Concepts Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) – Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation – Pursuing goals because they feel right vs. because you're told to The 30 Critical Questions – From the Critical Foundations series by YouSchool
