How to Stop Making a Living and Start Making a Life.
What Are You Really Working For? How to Make a Life, Not a Living.
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How to Stop Making a Living and Start Making a Life.
You’ve heard the line before. “There’s a big difference between making a living and making a life.” But like so many overused phrases, it tends to roll right off your tongue without sinking in.
That is, until life makes sure you pay attention.
But First, a Story.
A few years ago, I had a tight layover at O’Hare. I was late, and the board said my next flight was two terminals away. I took off at a good jog with my roller bag bouncing behind me. While I ran, I could swear I heard the soundtrack to Chariots of Fire.
I reached the gate with plenty of time to spare. While I was catching my breath, a janitor caught my eye. He was wiping down chairs with slow, deliberate care. There was a swirl of anxious people racing around him, but he moved through it with a peaceful smile.
I excused myself and asked him how he managed to stay so calm in the middle of such a madhouse. He said, “When my shift ends, I’m going home to cook dinner for my granddaughter. She helps me get dinner ready. It’s our thing.”
That moment stuck with me. It was a master class in perspective. I was rushing to make a living. He was slowing down and to make a life.
The Hidden Cost of Constant Hustle
Many of us confuse motion with meaning. We fill our calendars because full calendars help us feel like we’re getting things done. And then we move from call to call and meeting to meeting without asking what all that commotion is really about.
Until one day, the calls end. The contracts wrap up. The inbox quiets down. When that moment comes, the real question shows up. Did we build something that matters? Or did we simply keep ourselves busy?
Success is not measured by the hours we bill. It is measured by the way we fill the hours that do not involve billing.
How to Look at Your Work and Your Life
This is not a plea to work less. It is an invitation to work with intention.
Stop and ask yourself what all your effort is for. Are you building a business or a brand? A reputation or a legacy?
Making a living fills your account. Making a life fills your soul.
Each of us has something that brings us back to center. Each of us has something that reminds us of who we are when the noise quiets down.
So What Do You Want?
Maybe it means time with your kids. Maybe it’s the project you promised yourself you would start once things slowed down. Maybe it’s travel. I read an article in The Wall Street Journal last week that said sore knees are a sign that you should explore your non-work options. Not because your job is harming your knees. Because your aching knees are telling you that travel will not always be as easy as it is right now.
If any of this is ringing true, it might be time to take a fresh look at your own path. What does making a life look like for you?
Whatever your answer, it begins with a shift in mindset. More intention. Fewer sprints through airports.
After all, life does not wait for your schedule to clear.
One Last Thing
I speak at conferences around the world on branding, messaging, and how to create a business and a life that matter. If your organization is planning a 2026 event, I still have a few dates available. I would be honored to help your audience find clarity, presence, and purpose.