September 18

Who Are You Becoming?

Past successes can become a burden that you carry into all future work. They can cause you to do what’s expected—because of your success— rather than what you think is best for a particular project.

Pixar didn’t intend to make movies. They were a computing technol- ogy company. If they had remained stuck on their initial idea, the world would have missed out onToy Storyaltogether.

How many potential Pixars are out there, both as companies and individuals, who are so stuck on who they have been in the past that they can’t see who they are becoming? Life is about growth, which is about change, which is about releasing what hasbeenso you can embrace what isyet to be.

It’s only when you are willing to finish one chapter that you can start the next. Otherwise, you’re simply stuck in the same story loop over and over.

So definitely leverage your experiences and successes to make you better, but don’t allow them to define you. “Who are you becoming?” is a much more interesting question.

To continue to grow, you must let go of who you have been and embrace who you are becoming.

QUESTION

Who are you becoming through your work? Do you need to let go of something so you can embrace the next thing?