The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment
Dear Friends, I am very excited about the publication of my new book, The Earned Life!
“I have had the distinct pleasure to know and work with Marshall Goldsmith for more than 10 years, and during this time, I have yet to find someone who is more focused, practical, or dedicated to their work…. Marshall has the unique ability to speak with me for five minutes and provide thought-provoking insights on how to lead and grow while also keeping me centered on what is important. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as Pfizer continues to play a critical role in helping protect and save lives, I have leaned on Marshall even more. He is a wonderful author, educator, coach, and friend.” —Albert Bourla, CEO, Pfizer
“I am so goal oriented that I can forget that happiness and achievement do not have to be mutually exclusive. By being present I can remind myself to be more selfless in the decisions I make. Marshall has been a great coach in helping me grow up and do just this!” —David Chang, James Beard Award-winning chef and author of the New York Times bestseller Eat a Peach
“Marshall pierces right to the center of things. For anyone who wishes to align their efforts with a life of meaning, Marshall is a fabulous companion, guide and cheerleader.” —John Dickerson, CBS News chief political analyst, bestselling author of The Hardest Job in the World
More on The Earned Life:
Over the course of his nearly 40-year career, the world-renowned executive coach and New York Times bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith has sold millions of copies of his books, and even had the world’s top executive coaching award named after him.
His coaching of more than 200 CEOs and their management teams has enabled him to deeply understand how successful people make decisions and how certain behavioral changes can help them avoid pitfalls on the way to successful careers and lives. In his New York Times bestsellers Triggers and What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There, Goldsmith helped readers identify the psychological and environmental roadblocks that prevent us from achieving our best performance. Now, in THE EARNED LIFE, Goldsmith uncovers the source of today’s existential crisis: regret, the kind stemming from choices that irrevocably alter our lives, reroutes destinies, and haunts our memories—particularly timely themes as the pandemic and Great Resignation inspire people to seek meaning in their lives, get unstuck and make changes.
"We are living an earned life when the choices, risks, and effort we make in each moment align with an overarching purpose in our lives, regardless of the eventual outcome,” Marshall explains. Goldsmith reveals that the key to living a life unbound by regret is committing to a habit of earning and, crucially, connecting that habit to something greater than the isolated achievements of careerism. A powerful roadmap for developing a habit of earning that will last a lifetime, THE EARNED LIFE is also Goldsmith’s most personal and powerful work to date, rife with anecdotes and reflections from a legendary career.
In THE EARNED LIFE, Goldsmith eschews the Great Western Disease of “I’ll be happy when…” that leaves so many of us in cycles of regret, and offers practical advice aimed at helping us shed the obstacles that prevent us from creating our own fulfilling lives. With this book as their guide, readers can close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done, even in a world full of inescapable unfairness and curveballs, and live an earned life too fulfilling to dwell on the “what ifs.”
Select Advance Praise for THE EARNED LIFE
“My life changed for the better when I started working with Marshall. As you read The Earned Life, try to hear Marshall’s voice. Know you can face the challenges ahead and start anew. I hear this soundtrack every day as I go out, with humility and passion, to earn my life once again.” —Dr. Jim Yong Kim, 12th President of the World Bank
“The essence of Marshall’s coaching is in his dedication to his purpose, which is to help his clients, find happiness and fulfillment—and to be better for themselves and the people they lead. And now, he’s broadening the scope beyond his clients to everyone who reads this book. What a gift—to help us become the people that we want to be and to live a fulfilled life with no regrets. Thank you, Marshall—The Earned Life rocks!” —Alan Mulally, served as CEO of Ford, United States CEO of the Year
“Through his wonderful coaching, Marshall has helped me become a better leader and a happier person. Perhaps the most profound impact he has had on me is helping me learn to embrace feedback to make positive change. In The Earned Life, the world’s most admired coach shares some of his most valuable insights into creating a fulfilling life.” —Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy, Harvard Business Review’s Best-Performing CEOs of the World
“From the first day we began our work together when I was CEO of the Girl Scouts until today, Goldsmith has been such a special part of my life. With The Earned Life, Marshall shares something that is so important, which is just how we can live a fulfilled life. You must read this masterpiece!” —Frances Hesselbein, served as CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
“Marshall’s unique approach to coaching has not only challenged me, it has also inspired me to be a better leader and a better person. The philosophical and practical approaches in this book will challenge you in the same way that Marshall has challenged me.” —Dr. James Downing, president and CEO, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
“The advice in this book can help you keep on achieving and, at the same time, do a better job of finding peace and happiness in the process.” —Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School, Thinkers50 World’s Most Influential Management Thinker
“Marshall helps me become a better person, a better wife, a better mom, and better leader. My journey with him has been nothing short of a joy, even in the face of having to make fundamental changes. The Earned Life perfectly captures Marshall’s spirit and the impact he has had.” —Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox, Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business
“Thank you for this beautiful invitation to a deeper conversation with myself!” —Nankhonde van den Broek, Winner of Thinkers50 Coaching Award
“Who else but Marshall could get leaders from around the world to look forward to Zoom calls on the weekends? I am certain that you will learn from The Earned Life and be encouraged to join all of us in paying it forward with the insights you gain!” —Michelle Seitz, Chairman and CEO, Russell Investments
“Marshall is a life changer. For the past decade, he’s remained a pivotal advisor through every step of my career. He makes the complex simple and challenges you to create positive change that endures. In The Earned Life, his most important book yet, he reminds us that bold ambition can be a tyranny, if we anchor our identities to constant goal achievement. We have to relish the journey and our own happiness—it is the most important choice we need to make.” —Margo Georgiadis, former president and CEO, Ancestry, Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women
“Marshall is a brilliant mentor who truly helps you be happier and wiser. He is a force multiplier for good. I can’t wait for readers to exponentially make a positive difference in the world because of what they will learn in The Earned Life.” —Sanyin Siang, founding executive director, Thinker50’s World’s Top 50 Management Thinker / Leads Duke University Coach K Leadership & Ethics Center
“Marshall’s ability to illuminate the humanity in each of us is truly extraordinary. He gets to the core of any matter, personal or professional, and fosters an affirming and productive environment. The vulnerability of members in our community leaves us motivated and inspired.” —Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USA Olympic and Paralympic Committee
“The Earned Life is Goldsmith at his best. Insightful, empathetic and practical all at the same time. This book can help you have a more complete and fulfilling life.” —Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer, Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor, New York Times bestselling author
“Marshall never pulls his punches or his wonderful wit. He sees our flaws and leads us to do better, with cajoling or stories and then with a friendly two-by-four of insight, especially handy for those of us who need less subtlety. The Earned Life and Marshall’s other writing and speaking have made him truly the world’s coach.” —Tony Marx, president and CEO, New York Public Library
“More than anyone I know, Marshall makes the impossible possible. Without Marshall, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He has helped make my life both more enriching and more fun. I hope that The Earned Life will help you in the same way Marshall has helped me!” —Martin Lindstrom, world #1 authority on branding and bestselling author of Buyology
“Over the years, Marshall has become one of the greatest leadership thinkers in the world and yet he has continued to be one of the finest, most-caring human beings I know. He lives to the fullest. The Earned Life will help you do the same.” —Ken Blanchard, bestselling author whose books have sold over 23 million copies
“Marshall has transformed the lives of thousands of people for the better, mine included! He is a humanist—a wonderfully funny person who is very serious about helping people. A humble monk, he brings opposing qualities together to create deep and timeless value.” —Ayse Birsel, world top 15 ranked designer and author
“As a coach and advisor, Marshall has a knack for suggesting just the right tweak and the right time. The Earned Life is a wonderful book.” —Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School, World’s #1 Strategic Thinker
“Marshall has given me the gift of helping me change possibility into reality. Read this book. I hope that it can do the same for you.” —Whitney Johnson, CEO, Disruption Advisors, World Top 10 Business Thinker
“The Earned Life is the friendly hand that can help you live the life you truly want—or bat you on the side of your head when you turn your back on yourself.” —Dr. Carol Kauffman, Founder, Institute of Coaching, McLean, affiliate of Harvard Medical School
“Goldsmith has done it again. Reading The Earned Life contains insights and tools that make you feel like Marshall is personally coaching you.” —David Ulrich, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, World’s #1 HR Thinker
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized for years as the world’s leading executive coach and the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Mojo, and Triggers. He received his Ph.D. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In his coaching practice, Goldsmith has advised more than 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He and his wife live in Nashville, Tennessee.