Living Your Legacy

During one of my VIP sessions, I asked a remarkable executive leader, “What’s your legacy?”  

Her response was… silence. I waited for five minutes (that’s a long time to sit in silence) before repeating the question. She looked at me, cleared her throat, and said,”…not sure how to answer that, I got nothing.” 

This woman is full of accolades having achieved “all the things.” She moves through life with grace, and from the outside looking in, she has it all figured out. Yet, when we started working together, she shared that she felt unfulfilled, tired, and overwhelmed. She was on a treadmill—burning lots of calories, but going nowhere.  

Raise your hand if you can relate.  

Here’s the thing, we all spend a ton of time wearing “busy” like a badge of honor. Busy is not the goal y’all. Alignment is the goal.  As executive leaders, our work is to identify our legacy. So, what is a legacy? 

Well, webster’s online dictionary says, “legacy is the money or the property you leave when you transition out of this life.” Bleh, how limiting!  

Let’s shift the definition to be more expansive. Legacy is the spirit, work, and care we leave behind. Legacy is the manifestation of our purpose. Legacy is what we hope people say when celebrating our lives.

When we’re clear on our legacies, we move forward in alignment.  

Wanna get clear on your legacy? 

Here’s an exercise, write your eulogy. First, write down what you hope people share about your life and how you lived. Then, read it and ask yourself, How might I readjust my life to live the legacy I aim to leave?