In this very special edition of Asking for a Friend, I partner with David and his Leadership Without Losing Your Soul podcast. in a conversation with Marshall Goldsmith about how to find more meaning in work, and his new book, The Earned Life.
“We are living an earned life when the choices, risks, and effort we make in each moment align with an overarching purpose in our lives regardless of the eventual outcome.” – Marshall Goldsmith
How to Find More Meaning in Your Work (and Life) With Marshall Goldsmith
1:35 Marshall shares a bit about his new book which is built on what he has learned in life as well as studies over the years.
The key to an earned life is the alignment of these three elements:
- Higher-level aspirations – some people live in their heads. They have great thoughts but not much action.
- Ambition – goal achievement – some people become almost addicted to achievements and goals. But we don’t control results. How long do achievements make you happy? Many live with the mentality of “I’ll be happy when …” We are constantly restarting our lives.
- Our day-to-day actions – these actions need to align with our aspirations and ambitions.
5:22 The one-breath / every breath principle – we are constantly building a new version of ourselves. Embracing that helps us forgive ourselves and keep growing.
6:53 The previous versions of ourselves have caused ripples even presently. How do we navigate when we change and evolve from what we originally shared?
The question comes down to changing perception vs. changing behavior. Follow-up is key.
Rather than make one statement to your team that “I’m going to stop ____________” tell them your intention and maintain a conversation. Ask for ongoing feedback. This will build trust that you are working on changing even if you slip – because you are going to still make mistakes. If they haven’t had an ongoing conversation with you, they will assume, “They haven’t changed a bit.”
Your turn. What would you say are the most important aspects of finding meaning in your work? What constitutes an “earned life?”
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