Consuming for Downstream Intentionality

James Clear has famously declared that ideas are downstream from what we consume. Sometimes we may become frustrated by a dearth of ideas or lack of inspiration (though if you are in education, this is the time of year when you have too many ideas!), but this can be directly linked to the upstream consumption.

In other words, it’s the old adage of “what goes in, comes out.” The beauty of this from a principle-based perspective is that we can control what goes in. We can decide what movies we watch, what books we read, what shows we binge, what we listen to in the car, and what plays on our headphones in gym. We are in control—or rather, we can be.

But if we start with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey would suggest, we can begin by deciding what sort of ideas we want—or even, what sort of person we want to be. If we want more inspiration, we must consider what sort of content an inspiring person consumes. If we want more encouragement, passion, or excitement, we simply have to be intentional about what we consume.

Put in the words of Jim Rohn, “What we think determines what we believe, what we believe influences what we choose, what we choose defines what we are, and what we are attracts what we have.”

I travel all over the US to schools and work with educators on plans for developing the entrepreneurial mindset in K-12 students and I always start with the same mantra—if we want our students to think like entrepreneurs, we as educators must model this in the classroom. We must have a growth mindset, we must be developing our grit, and we must redefine failure in order to seek opportunity.

And it is as simple as being intentional about what we consume. What’s your personal growth plan? What will you be “consuming” in the next six weeks? What’s the most interesting podcast you’ve listened to in the last week? What’s a new principle you’ve discovered?

In short, if we want to be inspired, we must intentionally decide to become inspiring people, and this requires being proactive about what we take in.

Curious about where to start? For some listening content, check out my podcast, The Entrepreneurial Mindset

Let’s Go!

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RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

Mark your Calendar for March 6-7, 2025

The 2025 CHCA Entrepreneurship Symposium on March 6 and 7, 2025 will bring together school leaders from around the nation to explore meaningful and impactful entrepreneurship programming designed to engage students, rally communities, and supercharge donors.

And spots are limited.

Email Stephen Carter (Stephen@Seedtreegroup.com) to RSVP and reserve your spots.

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