Memento Mori

I would have never imagined that one day someone would ask me to write my own eulogy. Yet, lo and behold, not only did someone ask—but I actually had to do it in order to complete an assignment!

One of the most introspective courses I took at Stanford University Graduate School of Business was called Creating a Life of Consequence. It asked me to think deeply about happiness, expectations, and my sense of purpose on this planet. That’s when I was tasked with writing my own eulogy: flash forward to my funeral—how would I describe my journey on earth? What would remain of it? Would I be proud?

Picturing myself in a casket was unsettling but undeniably revelatory. That’s likely when I first began to see coaching as a calling—or maybe when I realized I could help others find clarity and purpose in their lives.

Coaching is anchored in the future we have the potential to build as human beings and professionals. Reflecting on life by reverse-engineering it, all the way back from our own eulogy forces us to reframe our actions in the present.

Just today, the New York Times shared results from new research on life expectancy. After a century of rising life spans, it looks like humans may be approaching the limits of what’s possible.

Yet another reminder that our time on earth is finite. How do we cope with that knowledge without falling into the trap of urgency?

A New Idea of the Future

As King Lear famously said, “ripeness is all.” However, ripeness is not a function of age—it’s mostly the result of mindset.

Here’s an actionable sequence we can adopt to build a new idea of the future—and, in doing so, prepare for our eulogy.

1. Identify Our Values, and Embody Them

Values are our North Star. They define how we interact with others—from loved ones to colleagues. But it’s not enough to simply name our values; we must live them on a daily basis. By embodying our values and walk the talk, they truly become our guiding principles. Here is what we should ask ourselves: how do I embody my values? Do I walk the talk?

2. Visualize the Peak, and Then Focus on the Path

Imagine you are hiking. You see the top of the mountain, where you hope to be one day. How far is it? When might you reach it? Can you actually get there?

The question of whether we will reach the goal is secondary. What truly matters is how we make sense of the path, and how each action along the way contributes to our journey.

While keeping the final destination in mind is important, it’s the cadence of our steps that defines how we interpret our life.

3. Make Sense of the Process

Yes, it’s all about the process. The path we take is where true discovery happens, where we encounter the unexpected and learn the most about ourselves. The process isn’t just a means to an end—it is the journey. Each step, even the missteps, reveals something new about who we are, what we value, and how we can grow.

Spanish poet Antonio Machado captured this idea beautifully in his well-known poem:

Caminante, son tus huellas

el camino y nada más;

Caminante, no hay camino,

se hace camino al andar.

Al andar se hace el camino,

y al volver la vista atrás

se ve la senda que nunca

se ha de volver a pisar.

Caminante, no hay camino

sino estelas en la mar.

The path itself is our true destination.

The awareness of life’s finiteness can be both frightening and paralyzing. Worse, it can lead us to measure our impact by external standards when we focus solely on the outcome. But when we shift our focus from the final goal to the journey itself, we give ourselves permission to reinvent the world at every step. Each moment becomes an opportunity to make our lives—and the lives of others—more meaningful.

So, as you walk your path, ask yourself: What legacy are you creating today? How will you define your journey? How do you fully live each step along the way?