How to Make More Meaningful Contributions at Work and in Life

<p>In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam sits down with Tom Rath, an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. His 10 books have sold more than 10 million copies and made hundreds of appearances on global bestseller lists. Tom’s first book, <em>How Full Is Your Bucket?</em>, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and led to a series of books that are used in classrooms around the world. His book <em>StrengthsFinder 2.0</em> is Amazon’s top selling non-fiction book of all time. His newest book, <em>Life's Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World</em>, released last year.</p><p>During his 13 years at Gallup, Tom led the organization’s strengths, employee engagement, wellbeing, and leadership consulting worldwide. Tom has served for the past five years as an external advisor and Gallup Senior Scientist.</p><p>The conversation begins around the idea of making more meaningful contributions and work and in life. Tom shares that he typically starts each day by asking the question: What could I do today that will continue to grow and contribute to the people I know and love, and my community, that will continue when I’m gone? What am I going to do today that makes someone else’s life better? These contributions can be big picture, but they can also be daily tasks or interactions that improve the lives of others in the long term. He believes that if we are spending a little time in our day making a contribution like that, we can accumulate those over time, and make our work more meaningful and more effective.</p><p>Tom also shares about a rare condition that causes him to be more susceptible to many cancers, but for him, having the reminder of mortality is a very powerful force for good. It’s something we’ve seen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—a sense of urgency to evaluate our daily routines, how we impact people around us in the immediate and the long-term, and our relationship with our work. Prior to the pa