The sad news of Gough Whitlam’s passing this week has prompted many to recollect and celebrate the enourmous contribution this Prime Minister made to Australia and its people. His contribution was heroic  – in vision, in ambition, in scope, in urgency and in lasting positive social change.

Gough was one of my heros – one of those people who held out his hand to others; who excited me and others about politics; and who willed us to genuinely make a contribution to be proud of.

Among the thousands of words that have been written about Gough over the past few days, and the many of his quotes published, this is one of my favourites:

Dying will happen sometime. As you know, I plan for the ages, not just for this life.

This makes me contemplate my own contribution and legacy – what has it been so far and what will it be worth over time? These questions to me are at the heart of how people choose to earn their livelihoods and develop their careers. They remind me that we all live on well beyond our years and that having that in mind might just guide our vision for our particular contributions and what we want to be remembered for.

Last week CareerActually launched a simple but fun career values activity to help people work out what really matters to them and to set their course accordingly. The response has been fantastic to the Career Values Card Sort, and it pleases me that tools like this may help people to lead more satisfying lives. Give it a go and please let me know what you think.

Until next time … go well

Carole