Creating A Living Legacy Through Your Work And Business

by: Daneal Charney

Not making the impact you want in your business and work life?  Feeling like you are not living up to your potential?  You may need to re-focus on what success means for you.   

As entrepreneurs we are often so busy ‘doing’ that we forget about the big picture for our businesses and lives and what we are really capable of.   In my coaching practice I work with many clients who have let their business success be side-tracked by a frantic‘busy-ness’ or by kids, elder care, partners, and life in general.  This is why it’s so crucial to take the time to revisit and re-envision the living legacy we once wanted to create through our work and businesses.  Your living legacy may have started with a deep passion for the business you are in.

In the next few paragraphs I will take you through an exercise that will help you create a kind of business mission statement.  I call it a living legacy statement.  It’s the contribution you may be already making or wish to make in the lives of your customers and beyond.

I have seen how this 10 minute exercise can change people’s lives by helping them redefine what their mark can be and taking concrete steps towards it.  At a retreat I ran in 2002, one of the participants realized that she was not living the legacy she was capable of and took giant strides to make this possible.  She re-focused on her professional career and health, both of which had been put on the backburner for the last four years.  Today she has tripled her income and is working in her dream job.  She is half way to her ideal weight and has lost 31 pounds.    

Many of us, including myself, get stuck in the situations of our lives because we convince ourselves there is no other way.  One of the most powerful things we can do is to realize that our situations are simply a snapshot of what is going on or one viewpoint.  If we can  learn to re-frame this viewpoint, we are on our way to creating the legacy we really want and are capable of.

When I had my first-born in 2003 I learned how powerful reframing can be.  Reframing requires first being aware of the way you are viewing your life or situation.  In my case I realized I was stuck in a9 to 5 mentality of work.  The second step was coming up with other ways or ‘frames’ of viewing my situation.  I came up with several and consciously chose a more flexible work schedule that would allow me to have some stability with the space to grow a new business venture.  Lastly I took action – negotiating a 3-day a week schedule which was job shared by my replacement.  The legacy I am creating today through my business started with my willingness to reframe and re-envision who I could become and let go of who I was.

Now it’s your turn to re-envision your impact. You will be creating your own business mission statement and defining the contribution you will make in your work and business. For this 10 minute exercise you will need a piece of paper and pen in hand and some privacy.   Now write on the top of the paper ‘What is my business legacy?’ and leave some space. Under this write, ‘What is one step I will take today to move one closer towards it?’.

Now take 2-3 minutes to get comfortable wherever you are doing some light belly breathing with your eyes closed.  When thoughts come into your mind push them into the back and park them for later. When you feel settled let your eyes settle back on the text.

Now imagine you are given a stage of 1000 of your target customers. Close your eyes if this helps.  They are ready to hear your message and take any actions as a result. You have 90 seconds to WOW them – to present a compelling story or theme.  What is the essence of what you want to say?  What actions do you want them to take as a result?  Record your answers on a fresh page. 

Now consider a second scenario and when you are done, record your answers on another page.  You have decided to retire.  A friend calls and asks you to mentor someone who wants to follow a similar career or business path.  You agree.  One of the questions this young person asks you is: what was the impact you feel you made through your business.  A kind of personal mark.  What is the legacy you are leaving behind?  

Now go back your original question.  Based on the two scenarios you have envisioned, what is the mark you want to make through your business and the work you do?  Your ‘living legacy’.  Try to express this in one or two sentences so it is something you can look at and refer to on a continual basis.  It may be something you look at each morning and ask yourself,  ‘am I moving towards this living legacy?’  And ‘what is one step I can take today to do that?’  Make sure before you complete this exercise you commit to at least one step you will take today to move one closer to your legacy. Tell two friends to make it real and increase your accountability.

Re-envisioning your living legacy can go beyond business and work.  We may not be aware of it but most of us have a motto or philosophy in life. Ask one or two of your closest friends to guess what your personal motto is.  Is it, ‘don’t ask, don’t get!’  Or, ‘just do it!’ etc.  Guess your friends.   You may want to do a similar exercise with your kids.  You can get each one to draw their hand-print as a metaphor for their impact on the world.  What do they want to happen to the world? What can they do to make this happen?

Are you just starting a business or wanting to take your business to the next level?   I invite you to send your questions or challenges to me.   

Posted in: Giving Back, Managing your Business