This is the end.
The finish line is the beginning.
Welcome to OutsmartChaos, the newsletter. We’re glad you’re here. In this newsletter, you will find:
High Performance
Striving for Significance
The Legacy
Write Your Adventure
Self-Reflection Questions
High Performance
There’s a distinct difference between high performers and others. This is the not-so-secret difference between the top 1% and the rest of us. While most strive for immediate success, the top performers play the long game, focused on building a lasting legacy.
The high performers know that the finish line is the start.
Knowing this allows performers to refine the elements of themselves and their actions to build a legacy - and this applies to life, sport, work, and everything else.
Striving for Significance
We strive for significance in life. It's a human drive deeply rooted in nature and spiritual beliefs. We are divinely wired to thrive and make a positive impact on others. This internal desire extends beyond ourselves to encompass our loved ones, communities, and all those touched by our strengths and offerings.
At the core of this quest for significance lies the human drive to thrive and live out our faith values. We're not content with mere existence; we yearn for purpose. This drive reflects our potential for positive change in ourselves and others.
Our pursuit of significance creates a ripple effect. When we follow this path, we impact lives beyond our own. It's not just personal satisfaction; it's about inspiring and empowering others, enriching us all.
This strive for significance can often be seen in how others describe our legacy. We are inspired by those who leave a legacy…an impact when they are no longer present.
The Legacy
Several students were asked what their fathers were known for at a fall retreat for junior and senior high school students. Removing the joking answers, 7th-grade students answered primarily about their fathers’ jobs.
A government worker, IT, project manager, etc.
These answers were good but not quite complete. It was the difference between job and trade, act and impact, and memory and legacy.
Leaving a legacy
There are two examples of the legacy my grandfather left me, shared with these students.
1.) To focus on long-term compounding interest in finances. The value of saving regularly from 16-30 allows for 30-40 years of compounding interest - a big win.
2.) A particular engineered creation my grandfather painstakingly explained to me each time I visited that represents not only many years of work but also the leadership opportunities that sometimes take decades to come to fruition.
This legacy left a significant impact on my life. One affects how I approach money, and the other sits on my desk in a place of honor. His legacy to me was diligence, intelligence, and drive.
Eyes on the Legacy
I then asked the students what legacy their fathers would want to be known for. Completely different answers.
Kind. Good father. Funny.
Faithful. Servant Leader.
Someone who builds up leaders.
Not one answer mentioned their father’s job. There’s an important lesson here.
We want to leave a legacy. What we do is not the legacy but the vehicle. Our legacy is seen in how we do our tasks and careers in front of us, what we leave behind, and what others see about who we are. At the end of our time, we aim to receive a response from those most important to us - “Well done, good and faithful [servant, father, leader, teacher, etc]”
Write your Adventure
You have a choice to make as you reflect on your own life and goals. Will you live for short-term gains and temporary success? Or will you take the long view, focusing daily on building the legacy you wish to leave behind? T
he path you pick comes down to a simple fork in the road. But the road depends on the direction you choose…and, most importantly, the destination.
Self Reflection Questions
In each area of your life, what do you want to be known for? In family? Faith? Friendships? Work?
If someone you care about describes who you are, would their responses please you? If not, what can you do to change that?
What is the legacy that I want to leave behind?
How am I taking steps to cement my legacy?
When I start from the finish line, how does my focus need to change? What do I need to change today?
At Outsmart Chaos, we believe that in the Face of Chaos, Confident Courage lights the Path to Opportunity. We’re dedicated to helping you find your way to the most significant opportunities in your life, career, and leadership.
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Wow, such impactful reminders as to what my legacy is and how I proceed to ensure it in the long run, to ultimately win the race of life well! Truly the start line is the finish line as we keep our goals focussed upon daily.