If you had to finish this sentence, what would you say?

“My life will be a success if…”

It’s the ultimate “begin with the end in mind” question—and one worth wrestling with, even if our answers differ.

I recently heard leadership expert John Maxwell answer that question on a podcast, and his words stopped me in my tracks:

“Success is when those who know you best love and respect you the most.”

What I love (and also find challenging) about that definition is how it cuts through the fog of the metrics we often chase—dollars, titles, followers, awards.

As a recovering Type 3 achievement junky, I’ve pursued those metrics for years—and to some degree, I still do. It’s fun to set big, tangible goals and see how close you can get to achieving them. But here’s what I’m realizing…

When I think about the true “legacy” of my life, I suspect most of it will come down to how I impacted the small circle of friends and family who knew me best. If, in the end, I don’t come through for those people, then the “points” I’ve scored on other scoreboards won’t mean much to me—no matter how impressive they might look to the outside world.

Easier to write in a newsletter than to live out day to day. But I’m working on it.

What about you?

• Does Maxwell’s definition resonate?

• Have a different answer or perspective?

• How do you balance the pull toward achievement with the desire to be known and loved by those closest to you?

Thoughts from fellow travelers

Thanks to everyone who responded to my last newsletter about Sam Presti and the role of “luck” in our success. Here were a few that made me both think and laugh!

• “I think sports is a ton of luck, but the problem is, I can never tell my players that!” – D1 college coach

• “I never could make up my mind whether it was Providence or luck, so I split the difference and thanked Providence for my luck.” – Burley Coulter

• “I’m not ready to blame Providence for our problems, but some are getting pretty close to it around here.” – Florida Gators football fan

Carry on fellow travelers, we’ll talk soon.