Begin with the End in Mind

Twenty years ago, in 2006, I launched a little company with a rather big name: Legacy Life Coaching.

When I launched Legacy Life Coaching in 2006, life coaching was still unfamiliar to many people. I often found myself answering the question, “What exactly is a life coach?” Twenty years later, coaching has become part of a much broader conversation about growth, leadership, relationships, wellness, and meaningful change. What hasn’t changed for me is the heart of the work: helping people step back, see what matters most, and intentionally create the next chapter of their lives.

I didn’t choose the name because I dreamed of building an empire, becoming famous, or leaving behind some grand accomplishment. My idea of legacy was much more personal than that.

At the time, I was navigating a difficult season in my life and asking some important questions about how I wanted to live. One idea from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People stayed with me: begin with the end in mind.

It made me wonder: If I could stand at the end of my life and look back, who would I hope I had been? How would I have loved? How would I have served? What would the people whose lives crossed mine have experienced because I was there?

During those years, I also ran a marathon. Somewhere along those 26.2 miles, staying in the race became more than an athletic challenge. It became a metaphor for life. We don’t always know how the story will turn out, but we can decide how we’re going to run the mile we’re in.

Twenty years later, one thing has become even clearer to me:

A legacy doesn’t have to be large to be lasting.

We sometimes hear the word legacy and imagine something big—a famous name, a great achievement, or a contribution that changes the world. But I’ve come to see it much more personally.

Maybe it’s the way we love our children, care for aging parents, show up for a friend, encourage a colleague, help a client see a new possibility, play with a child, or simply notice someone who needs to be seen.

For me, legacy comes down to something pretty simple: loving God, learning to love myself well, loving others well, and finding ways—large and small—to serve.

Keeping the end in mind can help us decide how we want to live today—how we treat this person, how we respond to this circumstance, and what we do with the opportunity right in front of us.

What we leave behind is shaped by how we choose to live today.

So, for this first Legacy Moment, I’ll leave you with a question:

If your legacy is being created today—not someday—what do you want yours to look like?

With Love and Gratitude,

Lori Berkman
Founder, Legacy Life Coaching | Legacy Life Strategist