What Do You Want to be Famous For?

Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it - Gautam Buddha

“So how will we save the planet?” 

Said the bearded, bespectacled web designer sitting next to me at the Irish pub yesterday.  I had been sitting quietly at the bar when he struck up a conversation.  A short while later, he revealed his deep seated aspiration of becoming a grand master in figurative art, following in the footsteps of great artists of the Renaissance era.  It was his life’s purpose, he said, to leave an indelible mark on humanity through his unique representation of the human form.  His concern about the state of the world, therefore, was not entirely surprising. 

About once a year, I am overcome by a powerful urge to get away from the familiar  – work, friends, family – and retreat into my private shell.  Often this leads me to the mountains where I enjoy taking long walks surrounded by rolling hills and valleys.  Sometimes during these excursions I try and stare into my fears.  Like below, when I para-sailed in the Alps to overcome my deep seated fear of heights.  Sadly, it didn't work!  This year, I took the unusual decision to do a ‘staycation’, preferring to check into a hotel and explore my newly adopted city.  Walking the cobbled streets of SoHo in New York and soaking in the carefree vibe seemed to be just what I needed to begin removing the clutter in my mind after months of exertion.  

Listening to the dreams of this stranger brought back a question I often ask people - What do you want to be famous for? 

Wait.  This is really not about fame.  It goes deeper. 

For most people, the vast majority of waking hours is spent pursuing work. We spend more of our life energy doing our work than we do anything else.  Even more than we do with family and friends. 

“What do you want to be famous for?” is to say, “What should your life’s energy really count for?”

I believe our energy, our life, needs to count. Every one of us defines purpose differently.  Even those who say they don’t know their purpose have a purpose.  Consciously or otherwise, we are all seeking it.  Thinking about purpose elevates our work.  It helps remove the mental clutter.  It sharpens focus and concentrates our energy.  It propels us forward.

A few weeks ago I asked this question to my leadership team.  We had been having a relaxed dinner conversation over a few glasses of wine, so this was a somewhat unexpected, if not uncomfortable, interruption.  Yet, as each person began to answer, the energy in the room changed.  We listened intently.  And very soon felt a deeper connection with each other.  No two answers were the same.

I have been greatly privileged to serve a global, talent led organization employing over 370,000 people.  As Accenture’s Chief Learning Officer, my purpose is to enable people to learn and grow, so they can achieve their potential.  We do that by scaling innovations like Time Away to Learn … and Learn all the Time.  Now we are taking our mission to an altogether different realm by helping people understand their strengths, focus their energy on a handful of priorities, engage more deeply with their teams, and grow their career in more meaningful ways.  We call it Performance Achievement.

So much of my story - my purpose - is to help unlock the true potential of our people around the world.

And if you were wondering about my reply to my worried friend at the bar ... “We don’t need to save the planet.  Just ourselves.”

As the year draws to the close and a new one appears around the corner, it is a time of celebration, contemplation and resolution. 

What do you want to be famous for?

Twitter account: @rahulvarma123