Imagine you received two phone calls this morning. With the first, you found out you’d inherited 20 million dollars, no strings attached. With the second, you found out you had just 10 years left to live.

What would you start doing? And, as importantly, what would you stop doing?

(Jim Collins first framed this question in this article)

Here’s my answer:

I’d still work in this general area, “spreading the possibility virus” and seek to help people and organizations create better possibilities and take responsibility for their choices

I’d produce a lot more stuff - books, movies, articles - without worrying about the financial payback

I’d figure out how the work I can do might touch the 4 billion+ people on the planet who don’t have access to water, peace, technology

I’d be a lot fussier about the work I actually did, and find brilliant people to do the others parts that are necessary

I’d be bolder about approaching people of influence and asking for their help

What’s your answer? (Feel free to post in the comment section below.)

And now the questions is this: so what? Odds are you don’t have 20 million bucks and quite possibly you’ve got longer than 10 years to live.

But what do you want to do differently now, today, now that you’re clearer on what your Great Work might be?

(I can’t but help notice that for my list, the money/time thing is largely irrelevant … most of that list I can start doing today.)

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