The first time I heard the term ‘Legacy Work’ was a little over a year ago. I was enjoying some time off during the holidays and catching up on some reading from some of my favorite authors, Chris Guillebeau. His book The Art of Nonconformity is a continual influence on this project and on my life.
In the book, Chris champions the idea of creating legacy work. Legacy work is something that makes a difference in the lives of others while leaving a lasting impact. My extension of legacy work is that we can monetize it and be rewarded financially for doing work that matters.
Once the seed for legacy work had been planted in my mind, I started to get curious about what that might look like for me. Guillebeau’s idea of creating a legacy project resonated deeply with me and I began searching internally for something that I could offer to others that will have a lasting impact. Writing this blog is the first small step in that direction.
While I am sure that my legacy project will shift and change over time, my current vision is to create a web show where I will interview others that are examples for taking an exciting idea and transforming it into their life’s work. These will be experts that have navigated the process of blending their creative genius with making a living. A mandatory requirement for everyone I interview will be that they are creating at least 80% of their active income via their creative endeavor.
The Startup Sessions Show will be dedicated to:
- Bringing your greatest ideas to life via a side project that will allow you to make a difference and get paid for it
- The discovery of your deepest desires
- How to leverage your natural strengths, skills, and talents
- Embracing your absolute uniqueness
- Aligning meaningful work with making a BIG difference in the world
I am so freakin’ excited to be launching this project and I hope it will inspire others to start a legacy project and make a difference in the lives of others.
My Challenge To You
I want you to start thinking about starting your own legacy project. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just pick something you feel passionate about. It could take the form of writing a book, starting a business, volunteering, starting a charity…..whatever. The questions that kept coming up for me over the last year were, “What if I don’t try? How will I feel then?” If I didn’t try something, I had no doubt that I would regret it. More than anything else, my answer to these questions is why I’m starting this site.
Know that you can create something beautiful that will inspire others.
Know that you can help others in a way that is unique to you.
Know that life is short and we all have the same 24 hours in a day.
As far as I know, we all get one shot at this life. You might as well take it seriously and begin thinking about what you can do to ensure that your contribution is the best representation of the unique genius that is YOU!
All the best,
Michael
