Derek Sivers
from the book “Anything You Want”:

How do you grade yourself?

2009-10-09

We all grade ourselves by different measures:

For some people, it’s as simple as how much money they make. When their net worth is going up, they know they’re doing well.

For others, it’s how much money they give.

For some people, it’s how many people’s lives they can influence for the better.

For others, it’s how deeply they can influence just a few people’s lives.

For me, it’s how many useful things I create, whether songs, companies, articles, websites, or anything else. If I create something that’s not useful to others, it doesn’t count. But I’m also not interested in doing something useful unless it needs my creative input.

How do you grade yourself?

It’s important to know in advance, to make sure you’re staying focused on what’s honestly important to you, instead of doing what others think you should.