Jim Ruta
Hall of Fame Speaker & Coach
I stumbled across an idea recently that helped me focus on the right work for me. This new focus gave me the courage to change and to do it right now. What started as a joke quickly revealed its truth. It’s different and I hope it can help you too.
So, I was thinking about how much time I had to make the global impact I wanted to make. 10 years seemed reasonable. At about the same time, George Sigurdson commented that one day we’ll spend the last 30 minutes of our lives with somebody, and we should make sure it’s somebody that matters.
Isn’t this the same in business? One day, won’t we have spent the last 10 years of our lives doing something? So, doesn’t it make sense that it’s something worthy of investing 10 years of our lives? After all, 10 years is a LONG time.
So, think for a minute: If, what you’re doing today, isn’t something that’s worthy of a whole season of your life, why are you doing it today? Why are you working on a short-term, stepping stone-type, expiring purpose? Isn’t that exactly why we later wonder what happened to the time and our lives?
Isn’t it too easy to waste 10 years on unworthy work? Won’t we wonder why we didn’t do more?
I say we will. So, rethink your work and decide whether it’s worth 10 years of the prime of your life. Ask yourself if you’ll you look back with pride or disappointment? If it’s disappointment, change today to the work that worthy of you. Be honest and you will naturally work harder, be happier, and succeed more.
Apply the 10-Year Test to your work today, reveal your best purpose, and you’ll build a legacy worthy of your life.
October 20, 2025