How do you want to be remembered for your time on earth? This is one of the most important questions that you should ask yourself every day.
It’s important to identify your goal, who you want to be, and how to get there. If you don’t have an idea of who you want to be, or how you want to be remembered, you won’t be able to achieve that. So, think about the type of person you want to be, how they act, the choices they make, and their characteristics. Now think about who you are right now. How similar are the two? How can you change the choices you make and act more intentionally to match who you want to be?
But what is the benefit of living the way you want to be remembered? Here are three reasons why you should live the way you want to be remembered.
1. It helps you determine your core personal values. When we think about how we want to be remembered here on earth, we are forced to consider what truly matters to us. We have to think about our values, which is key in living a fulfilled and satisfied life. When one lives according to their values, they avoid an inner conflict that arises when there is a difference between what they stand for and how they actually act.
Why does this happen? Oftentimes we think we value something, but in actuality it’s what we have been told we must value. For example, maybe you think you value a college education, a high-paying job, and a certain lifestyle. But even after you live according to these values, you feel discontent. On closer look, you realize that a fancy education, job, and lifestyle was what your parents or your neighbors valued, but not you. Maybe you realized you value travel and passion, and because you have been ignoring your personal values, you feel discontent.
Once you get clear on how you want to be remembered for your time on earth, you will get a clearer idea of your value and you can live a life more aligned to those values.
2. It gives you clarity on how you want to show up everyday. Once you know what your values are and how you want to be remembered, you need to start adjusting your choices and actions to reflect that version of you.
For example, if you want to be remembered as someone who did a lot of good in the world, consider how you can do more good today. Maybe you open the door for a stranger, buy a homeless person a meal, or volunteer at a soup kitchen.
If you want to be remembered as someone who was kind and compassionate, think about what you say to others. The next time your colleague is loud in the break room, or your high school friend brags about her life on Instagram, think about what a compassionate person would say.
Remember, if you want to change how you want to be, then change the way you show up in your daily life. It doesn’t matter how big or small the action is; what matters is whether it aligns with who you want to be. Remember, life transformations happen when we change our daily habits.
3. It helps you be more present. By being more intentional about the small choices in your day-to-day life, you are forced to be more present. We are often rushing through life, running behind to-do lists, putting out fires, and focusing on tasks that are urgent. But in this daily hustle, it’s easy to forget about what is truly important. When we consider how we want to be remembered for our time on earth, we are forced to slow down and be more intentional in the present moment.
One of the most important questions to consider in life is how you want to be remembered. Life is short and it often passes us by faster than we expect. We are all perishable items and it’s time for us to live accordingly. So, let me ask you this: How do YOU want to be remembered and what actions can you take today to live that way?
