We all want to feel like our lives matter. To find this kind of significance, we often think in macro terms about our overarching purpose and values. Such reflection is certainly useful, but what are the smaller building blocks that will get us to those goals? What are things we can do to live more purposefully on a day-to-day basis?
My guest lays out ten such habits in his latest book, Make Today Matter. His name is Chris Lowney. He started his vocational life studying to become a priest before discovering it wasn’t for him and shifting his ambitions to the corporate world, working first as a managing director at JP Morgan and now as consultant and keynote speaker. Today on the show Chris and I discuss tactics gleaned from both his experience as a Jesuit seminarian and as a business leader that can help you live each day with more meaning. Chris explains how to keep your most important values at the forefront of your mind, how to approach each day with bravery and heart, and how looking for little ways to do good deeds, express gratitude, and lead others in a positive way will all add up to a life that matters.
Show Highlights
- How Chris found his way from Jesuit seminary to investment banking
- Decision making in banking vs. in real life
- The difference between moral knowledge vs. moral courage
- How to figure out what matters in life in 15 minutes
- How do we actually remember what matters in the midst of our workaday lives?
- Why self-improvement needs to be cumulative rather than a flash in a pan
- What it means to “bring big heart every day”
- How do you get going on days you don’t want to work for it or live life according to your values?
- Making self-improvement a true habit
- “Do no harm”
- When healthy competition turns negative
- Competition vs. rivalry
- Giving away your shoes
- Why gratitude is like cholera
Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast
- My podcast with Father James Martin about Jesuit spirituality
- Society of Jesus
- How to Find Your Life’s Purpose
- Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed With Happiness
- Define Your Core Values
- 7 Habits series
- The Spiritual Disciplines: Gratitude
- AoM’s Spiritual Disciplines series
- Hacking the Habit Loop
- Kaizen: Getting Just 1% Better Each Day
- Competition: The Fuel for Greatness
Connect With Chris
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