When you think about your legacy: 4 actions to take today
For years, and I mean years, I have wanted to write a book. I have four drafts of different books on my laptop that I started about a decade ago. A few years ago, I sat with a coach who gave me incredible direction and feedback on my story, but I never acted on it. I tried to carve time to return to these drafts and make something of them, only to start with vigor and then fizzle out. (This also reflects how I have approached exercise in the past…. begin with a bang and then slowly taper off to a complete stop.)
It took a global pandemic to move me to action. Like many of us, these times have prompted me to think about my legacy. Closely tied to our purpose, which is also getting a lot of air time these days, thinking about what we leave behind and what impact we want to make are front and center.
Some of us reach a certain age, let’s call it “mid-life” or “mid-career,” and we pause to think about where we are, what we have accomplished, how people perceive us, and what we have left undone. We then make bucket lists or set goals for ourselves.
These are all acceptable activities to pursue. As many of you know, I am a serial list-maker, and one notepad doesn’t even begin to cover it. For me, lists can ring hollow if there isn’t an objective or higher purpose behind them. So, I have stopped making lists as my first step and started focusing on more deep reflection time. Having a planner is one of my essential tools in this process.
I have written about my planner before. Every December, I sit down to plan my year. I use a particular planner that I have come to love produced by author Lara Casey. Her company and book are called Cultivate What Matters. She walks you through very concise yet thought-provoking exercises to help you determine what matters to you. The pages are beautifully designed, but they each have a distinct purpose of getting you to define, track, and make progress on goals that matter to you.
Two years ago, publishing was high on my list. I made some progress, but it wasn’t until 2021 that I decided to truly jump in and make it happen. I created a project plan for myself, and I took active steps to make sure I accomplished this.
Personal goals can be challenging to achieve. It reminds me of pursuing my master’s degree. I knew so many people who attended all the classes, but when it came time to complete their thesis independently, they didn’t. Doing these activities where no one is holding you accountable except yourself is tough. I highly recommend finding a cheerleader or coach who can push you.
What led me to take action finally came from a very internal place. I thought about my legacy. I thought about what I wanted to leave behind that was “me” and would help others. I am mid-life and mid-career, and the notion of legacy drove me.
For those of you contemplating the same big, universal questions, here are four steps to begin this process.
Imagine you are 80 (or 100!).
Put yourself in your 80-year-old shoes. When you are 80 or even 100, what will matter to you? What do you want to be known for? How do you want people to describe you or talk about you? When you sit back with your thoughts and photos, what do you want to stick out? What will bring a smile to your face? This can be an intense exercise. In fact, this can provide lots of perspectives that you might find yourself making changes in your habits or routines. It can help you shrug off the things that don’t matter and start focusing on what does.
Identify who you want to impact.
Focusing more on who instead of what and how can lead you to your legacy. I have been a middle manager for a long time. This can be a rewarding and challenging place to be. I wanted to help others in the same spot as me, so I wrote my book: Succeed from the Middle. I am working on a second book about my journey with anxiety. Anxiety can be limiting, if not crippling. I have learned to manage it over time, and I want to share my stories and concrete lessons to help others live with anxiety, especially women who have been through a divorce. Thinking about who will lead you right to where you should go with your time and talents.
Write your memoir intro.
I know not all of us are writers, and I may be biased here, but writing things down in almost any situation can help us get clarity (and ask questions!). Not that you will write your memoir but as an exercise, write an introduction. Just for kicks. How would you start it? What would you say? How would you describe your life, purpose, mission, values, philosophy? Writing an intro paragraph about your life can help you identify what you want to share with the world.
Determine what might get in your way.
Last but certainly not least, once you identify what matters and where you want to focus your legacy efforts, list what barriers might exist today and come up with plans to combat them. Nothing was holding me back from writing except me and this concept called time. But, time is something we can get our arms around. It is hard. Time may seem impossible to find for some of us, but it is there. We can learn to set boundaries, carve time for those things that matter, and hit the pause button on things that don’t. Maybe money is a barrier. Perhaps fear is one. My favorite! We may be afraid to fail, so we don’t try in the first place. I have this fear all the time, and I finally realized the risk of not doing this was more significant than the risk of trying. So, when you feel afraid to try something new or put yourself out there, ask yourself what your 80-year-old self would think if you never tried!
I could write a whole book on this topic, and maybe I will write one day. Carving some time to think about your legacy and how you can make an impact in the world is powerful. As another favorite author of mine, Amber Rae, says: “Don’t die with your gifts inside.” We all have the opportunity to make a difference. Discover what your legacy could be and focus some of your time pursuing this dream. You will make an impact!
My new book has launched! Succeed from the Middle: A middle manager’s guide to stop being pulled apart and start balancing your team, your boss and you is on Amazon and can be ordered.
I would be grateful if you could buy, write a review on Amazon, and tell others. Help spread the word to become a Rock Star middle manager.