Name: The Earned Life
Rating: 4.4 (460 reviews)
Author: Marshall Goldsmith

What’s in it for me? A new way of thinking about fulfillment.

Buddhism teaches that the only reality is the present. Marshall Goldsmith, the author of The Earned Life, argues that this insight isn’t just useful for spiritual seekers – it can help all of us lead more fulfilling lives.

That’s because a lot of us suffer from a distorted view of happiness. We think there’s a goal out there that will make us happy when we achieve it. For some, that goal has to do with status; for others it’s about money or relationships. Whatever it is, we usually find out that those things don’t really bring lasting happiness. And then we’re back on the treadmill, looking to achieve new goals.

All of this searching and striving doesn’t really get us anywhere. So what’s a better alternative? Well, to follow Buddhist wisdom is to learn to value the present. Fulfillment isn’t something to be sought in the future. And it’s not a box to be ticked; it’s a process. In short, we have to start looking for it in the here and now.

In this Blink, we’ll be unpacking Goldsmith’s argument and looking at exercises that will help you put that new perspective into action right away.

Along the way, you’ll learn

how to honor your past achievements without resting on your laurels;
why you don’t have to ask complex questions to get profound answers; and
how to align aspirations with your talents, quirks, and values.

You don’t have to be a Buddhist to profit from the Buddha’s wisdom.

Many centuries ago, a sage from South Asia had a revelation. Life, he realized, is impermanent. Nothing lasts. Pleasure and happiness are fleeting. So, too, are our dreams and sorrows.

For the Buddha – that was the name of this sage – life was constant change. Renewal. Every breath we take, he said, transforms us; we become different people from moment to moment. The only true reality, he concluded, is the present. The past belongs to a past you, and the future to your future self.

The Earned Life isn’t about Buddhism – and neither is this Blink. But the author suggests that we treat the Buddha’s insight as a kind of thought experiment. What if you assumed he was right? What if, just for the sake of this mental exercise, you looked at the world through his eyes?

Here’s his bet: this Buddhist paradigm can help everyone, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike, to think more clearly about what it means to lead a fulfilling life.

That’s because so many of us are trapped in what he calls the Western paradigm – a view of the world which denies impermanence. The view that says you’ll always be the same person, no matter what happens. That imagines there’s a single answer to all the questions that gnaw at you. That implies there’s a path to permanent happiness – a path that solves all of life’s riddles.

The Western paradigm, in short, promises that you’ll be happy when . . . well, what? In the end, you can’t escape the reality of impermanence. The goal posts keep shifting. That dream house could be bigger. Or smaller. Or closer to your grandkids. The promotion you hoped for doesn’t bring you the status you crave; the pay raise you fought for only makes you realize what money can’t buy. There’s always another goal – the next big thing that’ll really make you happy.

Endlessly pursuing such shifting goals, the Buddha thought, turns us into “hungry ghosts.” We’re ravenous, but nothing fills – or fulfills – us. That’s a paradoxical, futile, and miserable way to live.

So what’s the alternative, and what do Buddhist teachings about impermanence have to do with it?

Here’s The Earned Life’s take: accepting that everything grows and fades unlocks a powerful tool for personal development. Why is that? Well, for one, it’s a license to move on. When you come to see that the person you have been isn’t all that you can be, you open yourself to new adventures. But that acceptance also attunes you to the present by giving you a powerful motive to be better now.

Your achievements, your good reputation, the reciprocated love of the people you love – everything is impermanent. All of it can fade. Such things, then, aren’t “possessions.” You can’t lock them up for safekeeping. You can’t take them to the bank. You can’t invest them and live off the interest. They have to be re-earned. Constantly. Every day, every hour, and perhaps even with every breath. And that, really, is the most important takeaway here: there’s no point at which we finish earning our lives. Not until the moment we stop breathing.

Pay homage to the past you, but don’t rest on old achievements.

So much for the theory. Let’s shift gears and make things a little more tangible. Let’s try an exercise.

To focus on the present doesn’t mean forgetting the past; you’re not throwing every trace of the past down the memory hole. What it’s really about is learning to recognize that there’s a distinction between your past and present selves. That the paths you chose in the past don’t dictate which paths you choose to travel today. So let’s honor the past you – and then move on.

Basic questions can elicit profound answers.

Scientists guess that we make about 35,000 decisions a day. That’s a ballpark figure, but it gets at an important truth: choices account for a huge part of the mental energy we expend each day.

Lots of decisions are trivial. This morning, for example, you probably made dozens – even hundreds – of choices that were pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Maybe you decided what temperature you wanted your shower to be. Or you chose to put milk in your coffee rather than taking it black like usual. Or to walk instead of taking the bus. To check your mailbox when you get back later rather than on your way out . . . .

Aspiration is more fulfilling than ambition.

What lies between the present (the person you are now) and the future (the person you wish to become)? What bridges the gap between those selves? How, in other words, does change happen?

Those are pretty philosophical questions, so let’s ask the American philosopher Agnes Callard for some help. Her answer is that aspiration drives that transformation. Let’s break this down.

Kernaussagen in The Earned Life

Worum geht es in The Earned Life?

The Earned Life (2022) poses a simple yet profound question: Why does a life of constant achievement often leave us feeling empty? The answer can be found in ancient Buddhist wisdom: it’s not meeting ambitious goals but rather working on meaningful goals that really brings fulfillment and happiness.

Über den Autor

Marshall Goldsmith is a leadership coach and best-selling author. He is a member of the Thinkers 50 Hall of Fame and has been named in the Top Ten Business Thinker rankings for eight consecutive years. His 41 books, which have sold over 2.5 million copies and been translated into 32 languages, include influential titles such as Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.