How to Make More Meaningful Contributions at Work and in Life

“What am I going to do today that makes another person’s life better?”

That’s the question Tom Rath wants people to ask themselves. Rath, an author and researcher, has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and wellness. Of the 10 books he’s written to date – with more than 10 million copies sold – “StrengthsFinder 2.0,” a guide to leveraging one’s natural strengths, is the biggest seller on Amazon.

On this week’s episode of the Start With a Win podcast, Rath joins RE/MAX Holdings CEO Adam Contos to share how the willpower to help others is a guiding principle for prosperity in both work and life.

Rath’s research has been guided by the famous quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “What are you doing for others?”

“I’ve woken up each day and asked myself a kind of simple question, ‘What could I do today that will continue to grow and contribute to people I care about in my community in my absence?'” Rath says.

He cites the COVID-19 pandemic – and the time at home that accompanied it – as a catalyst, causing people to look in the mirror and ask themselves if what they do for work is fulfilling their purpose – and if it makes an impact long-term.

Adam poses the question: How can people be happy and accomplished – and what changes need to be made?

Rath, in turn, offers a jumping-off point.

“I would challenge each individual to step back and say, in their own lives, are they better husbands [or wives]? Are they better parents? Are they better friends? Are they more involved in their community?” he says.

Rath explains that it’s time to fundamentally rethink our individual value propositions and make better decisions. It’s what you do today that lays the groundwork for a more successful future and changes the lives of others.

Tune in to this week’s podcast episode to learn more from Rath about time balance, and the role it plays in creating the template for personal and shared success.

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