Tool:
Scene of Success
BLA KE STRATTON
What is a Scene of Success?
A Scene of Success is a mental motion picture of your desired
future. It’s like a scene from a movie, ilmed through the
camera of your “eyes of imagination.”
Written goals can bring clarity to your mind, but a Scene of
Success can bring enhanced clarity to both your mind and
your emotions.
What is it used for?
A Scene of Success, when used correctly, will do 3 things for
you:
1. Clarify what you actually want.
2. Clarify why you really want it.
3. Give you immediate emotional access to the person you
need to become to get what you want.
When should I use it?
Generally speaking, a Scene of Success should be used when
you need to bring clarity to what you want, why you want it
and/or need an “emotional boost” on your way to getting it.
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If you feel stuck, if you feel aimless, or you simply feel more
annoyed at life your present than excited for your future…use
a Scene of Success.
How to Create and Use a Scene of Success
1. Choose an ideal scenario sometime in your future.
You can use a speci ic time if you want to (30 days, 1 year,
10 years, etc.), but that’s not absolutely necessary.
2. Write out the scenario. Think like a screenwriter of a movie.
Speci ically, incorporate these 3 components that a
screenwriter considers when writing the end scene of a
movie:
• The external stakes: what is happening in the scene
physically that makes it great and exciting? Be as
speci ic and detailed as you can.
• The internal stakes: what is the emotional payo ? What
are the speci ic feelings that are happening in you
during this scene?
• The philosophical stakes: what does this scene mean?
What does it say about your identity? About your
values? About how the world works? About God?
3. Use your Scene(s) of Success in these ways:
• Read through the scene on a regular basis, illing in
details here and there to add additional color.
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• Visualize your scene. Close your eyes and play the
mental motion picture in your head. This takes
practice, but it’s a worthy skill to develop.
Example of a Scene of Success
“Blake’s Portland Business Trip”
I’m looking down at my hands. I can feel the nice leather of
the stroller’s handlebar. The weather here in Portland is
perfect, partly sunny with a nice breeze.
As I look up I can see our infant son in the stroller, making
those little baby noises. To my right I catch eyes with my wife
Alaina. She is beaming. She smiles at me in a way that says,
“we’re here! We made it back.”
I see our re lection as we walk past a storefront window. I can’t
help but notice our fresh new clothes. I had surprised Alaina
with a dress from a boutique retailer that I knew she wouldn’t
have spent the money on herself. I’m feeling grateful and
satis ied that when I buy “nice clothes,” cost is not something I
have to worry about at all.
Bopping around us excitedly is my daughter Felicity. She
keeps saying we’re on “second honeymoon” because this is
where Mommy and Daddy came after they were married.
Coming up on our right is our favorite co ee shop here in
Portland. As I hold the door open for the ladies, I feel my
phone buzz in my pocket. I don’t look at it, because I know
what that buzz pattern means: more sales.
Felicity and Alaina bounce over to order our co ee and treats
while I wait at a table with the baby. I glance at my phone and
see a text from one of my clients. It reads,
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“Blake, I have to just say THANK YOU. Working with you has
literally changed my life. My wife and I were re lecting last
night about just how much has changed over these past 6
months. Grateful for you! Whatever Nike is paying you for this
keynote, they’re getting a deal!”
As I read the text, tears begin to well up in my eyes. I feel so
seen, valued, excited and deeply grateful for the journey God
has brought me through.
“Here’s your co ee dad!!”
I catch eyes with Alaina again as they approach the table. She
can tell I’m feeling emotional. She has seen it all. Seen all of
me, the good and the bad. The highs and the very low lows.
She kisses me on the cheek and says casually, “So the nanny
is planning on taking the kids to a park this afternoon after
your talk,” and with a sly tone adds, “can you think of any good
ways we could kill some time together?”
End scene
NOTES:
• This scene incorporates the reality of multiple goals achieved
from multiple domains of life. Marital bliss, inancial
abundance, parental connection, career ful illment, travel and
fun are all accounted for in ways that are meaningful to me.
• For the sake of space and readability, I did not include all the
various emotions and micro details. However, during a
visualization practice of this scene, more and more details
emerge.
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• If you work for Nike and would like to chat, shoot me an
email : )
Tips & Ideas
• If writing narrative style is di icult for you, start by creating
a bulleted list of things you’d like to have or experience in
your scene.
• If it’s hard to think of a speci ic “scene,” start by making a
list of di erent areas of your life. Then create bulleted lists
beneath each area of things that “would be nice” to
experience or have. See which themes or trends emerge.
See if you can group some together in a speci ic moment in
future time.
• Try writing out an “ideal day” or “ideal morning” for your
future self.
• Think of the end of this calendar year, maybe you’re pouring
some champagne to celebrate the best year of your life.
What has happened to make it so great? Who are you
celebrating with and how?
• Write many scenes. Incorporate di erent facets of life and
di erent seasons of life.
• Keep your scenes in a digital document of some kind. This
will make it easy to edit as you go, as well as ensure easy
reference across your di erent devices.
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• Try using your Scene of Success with the exercise of
“Directional Gratitude” to carry the emotional state of your
scene with you throughout the day.