Are you being intentional about your work legacy? It’s time to pause, reflect, and name it.
When I turned 35 this year, it hit me that I’ve been working for 15 years and haven’t intentionally named what I want my work legacy to be.
We spend over one-third of our lives at work and even more time in our personal lives thinking about work. Our career can shape so much of our identity, choices, and trajectory in life.
I found myself wondering, what would my 70-year-old self say, looking back at my career and the impact I’ve had? Will my older self think that I lived with purpose and was aligned with my values? Or will she think I mostly got swept up in the urgency and busyness of each day?
I know the kind of life I want to lead, rooted in faith, service, integrity, and values, but I haven’t always slowed down and tied them into my work legacy and leadership.
“If we don’t choose and name our legacy, our habits and behaviors will choose for us.”
And if you’re a leader, I imagine you’ve felt this too.
Throughout my 15-year career as an educator and leadership coach, I’ve seen firsthand how everyone wants to make an impact, but few pause to define what that impact is or how to achieve it.
That’s why I invite you to pause and join me in reflecting on the prompts below. The questions are meant to help you name your work legacy and the steps you can take today to build it more intentionally.
Intentional Prompts and Simple Practices to Shape Your Work Legacy
If we don’t choose and name our legacy, our habits and behaviors will choose for us.
1. Name What Matters Most To You
What do I hope my future self (20–30 years from today) will thank me for and be proud of?
How do my daily actions reflect who I say I am?
What moment this week, small or big, is shaping the legacy I’m creating?
2. Define Steps to Build It
What is one action I can take today that reflects the legacy I want to build?
What quiet habit, boundary, or practice would move me one step closer?
Takeaways
Titles change. Projects come and go. Teams and colleagues shift. But our work legacy is lasting. The question I ask you is how do you want to be remembered in this season of your life and career?
The intentional work you do today in reflecting on and naming your work legacy and defining the steps forward, can help you make the most of your finite time and create a lasting impact.
Want support in defining your work legacy through coaching?
