As I watch the Olympics and speak to teams during Training Camp, I'm reminded that we are wired to have a scoreboard. Humans desire to make and measure progress. I believe there are two scoreboards that we utilize during our life. The first scoreboard is all about the winning, success, personal performance, individual accomplishments and status. Sales people love to measure their sales while they hit and surpass their goals. Athletes, coaches and fans measure wins and losses, performance metrics, touchdowns, points, personal records, and a number of other stats that determine their progress and status. Business leaders measure profit, loss, KPI’s, market share, growth, etc. Doctors measure the number of successful surgeries performed. Teachers, students, schools and parents measure grades and test scores. And yes, writers like me get excited when our book hits a best seller list and sells a lot of copies. We are all utilizing the first score board to measure our progress and ourselves against others. The most successful people I know have a competitive spirit. They want to get better. They want to succeed. They want to win! They want to be the best. There was a time when I thought that living according to the first scoreboard was selfish but now I realize it’s essential for us to learn how to compete, strive and fight through adversity so we can eventually thrive according to the second scoreboard. As we go through life progressing, measuring, succeeding, fighting, failing, and overcoming, we begin to sense that there is more than just winning and succeeding, and this leads us to the second and bigger scoreboard. The second and bigger scoreboard is all about impact and legacy. It’s about others not yourself. After speaking to the Clemson football team yesterday, I spoke to head coach Dabo Swinney who is the most competitive person I know. He told me that his purpose as a coach is not about winning championships. According to him it’s about “"Glorifying God, being a great husband and father and using his platform in coaching and education to develop generational leaders." Yes, he wants to win according to the first scoreboard but the bigger scoreboard that drives him and his program is the legacy and impact he will have on his players. My friend Tim Tebow is one of the most competitive people on the planet, especially on the pickleball court. He once competed on the football field and now that competitive spirit is driving him and his foundation to fight to save thousands of children from sex trafficking. They measure children rescued and this inspires many to join their mission. I was recently at an event speaking with Candace Cameron Bure, a very successful actress, movie and television producer. She mentioned on stage that she's been a gritty fighter her entire life and now she's fighting to make movies and television shows that make an impact. I told her after our talks that everything in her life brought her to this moment to be someone who would make the kind of positive movies the world needs now. The fight leads us to fighting for others. The desire to compete becomes a mission to help others win. Chasing success leads to leaving a legacy and making an impact. The first scored board prepares us for the second scoreboard and bigger wins. How are you measuring yourself and your life? We need both scoreboards but ask yourself how you can commit to the bigger scoreboard. I recently did this and it's why I decided to create my certification program and the soon to be launched Jon Gordon Circle. I told my wife and team that the measure of my success will not be determined by what I do. It will be determined by how many people I can help develop, grow and make a positive impact. Yes, I’m still keeping score but I’m using the second and bigger scoreboard. I hope you join me and utilize the bigger scoreboard. The best is yet to come! -Jon | 