How do you define greatness?
Many people define it as becoming influential, or wealthy, or famous, or the best in their field or profession — the GOAT — or powerful in some way.
But what if greatness were defined as becoming the best possible version of yourself?
That might not seem glamorous or, well, very great at all. But I think when we define greatness as anything other than becoming the best version of ourselves, we miss the whole point of life.
Think about it this way. Who are the people who had the greatest influence on your life so far? On who you are today, on how you think, on how you behave? Who outside of yourself would you credit with the successes you’ve had?
Those people almost certainly do not fit the popular definition of greatness. They have titles like parent, teacher, mentor, friend, child, co-worker, boss — people you had regular positive contact with, and probably some kind of meaningful and supportive relationship. True greatness is personal and intimate, and largely goes unrecognized outside a relatively small group of people.
This is the harder definition, not the easier one
You might criticize that definition as a way to dodge difficulty — it seems easier to become the best version of yourself than to become famous or wealthy or the top of your field.
I think it’s the opposite. There are at least two reasons.
First, there is no end to it. Becoming the best version of yourself must be pursued continually and continuously, for your entire life. Could there be anything more difficult than something that never ends? Like a mountain that has no summit, life can be approached as a continuous climb — and in my view, it should be.
Second, external definitions of greatness always come with an excuse attached.
When we define greatness as something outside ourselves — becoming wealthy or famous, the best scientist or basketball player — there are always readily available reasons why we can’t get there. I’m not tall enough, so it’s impossible. Cultural or economic circumstances kept me from what I could have achieved otherwise.
Notice that these excuses are often completely legitimate. If I’m not tall, it may not be impossible, but the deck is genuinely stacked against me in basketball. If I’m born into poverty, I obviously have fewer resources and fewer opportunities than someone born into wealth.
That’s exactly the problem. If I define greatness as achieving something external to myself, then I can honestly — and perhaps not incorrectly — tell myself that things outside my control are standing in my way. I can then tell myself that falling short is fine, given the circumstances, and stop making any serious effort. An external definition of greatness hands me an automatic exit the moment circumstances turn against me.
What changes when the definition turns inward
When I define greatness as becoming the best possible version of myself, external circumstances lose their grip entirely.
My genetics don’t matter. My economic circumstances don’t matter. Becoming the best version of myself means taking everything about me, exactly as it is right now, and simply determining to become better.
That takes different forms at different times. If I learn something today, I am smarter — perhaps wiser — than I was yesterday. If I choose patience today where I would previously have let myself become impatient, I have proven myself more disciplined and more capable than I was.
Sit with that for a moment and the possibilities turn out to be endless. I could dedicate my entire life to learning as much as possible every single day — neglecting relationships, exercise, and everything else — and still, at the end of it, I would have barely scratched the surface of what there is to know.
Consider the attributes worth developing: patience, empathy, leadership, attention to detail, self-discipline, sacrifice. Consider the challenges worth your time: running a marathon, reading a good book, volunteering for something in your community, making a new friend. Consider what would make you more useful to yourself, your family, or your employer: a new certification, a new language, a hobby group where you learn a skill or sharpen one you have.
The possibilities are literally endless. And yet each day is finite, and you have a finite amount of time, energy, and focus to spend inside it.
So what does that mean?
It means greatness can be — and I’d argue should be — defined as making steady, consistent progress: each day, each week, each month, each year, in becoming a better version of yourself.
If you are better today than you were yesterday, you are on the path.
And if you compare yourself now to yourself five years ago and find that you’re disappointed with the distance covered, then now is the time to correct course. Not at the new year. Not when things settle down.
Regardless of where you find yourself, what circumstances you’re in, or how you feel about who you were or who you are — dig in, make changes, and get after it.
Now is the time to wake up, say a prayer, and hustle.