I am not in "sales," but I attend their conferences. A line that I hear all the time at sales conferences is, "outcomes follow actions."
If "outcomes follow action" became a mathematical law, something that's always true, how might we apply that to life, leadership, and everything?
I see that question manifested through questions people ask me. "I am trying to figure out what to do with my life... should I look for this position or that position?"
I always respond with, "What is the work that you want to get invited to do every day?"
People who are looking for jobs or a career path always focus on the outcome they want, but they don't know the actions they want to do. You could find a job that feels right, but if you're not doing the work that matters you'll quit. Or worse, you'll stick it out and hate your life. Was that worth it?
We need to take a page out of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and instead of being in pursuit of the ultimate answer, we need to be in pursuit of the ultimate question.
What is the work you want to get invited to do every day? For me, it's:
How might I connect more with humans?
How might I connect the dots for humans - help them tell a better story?
How might I discover the first principles of human problems?
How might I brainstorm creative solutions to interesting problems?
How might I test out ideas and collect feedback?
How might I think more deeply about ideas, interesting problems, philosophy, life.
Outcomes follow actions. The action of pursuing the questions above has led to outcomes that have brought fulfillment. As a musician and as a people leader I get to pursue all of those questions in my work.
So grab your towel, and start translating your life as a pursuit of the ultimate questions for life, the universe, and everything.
