Are You Building a Résumé or Eulogy? By Brady Pyle

Know What You’re Building

I recently attended the funeral of a friend who truly lived a life of service. His eulogy echoed the teachings of Jesus: Love God and Love Others. He passed in his mid-eighties, much like my father-in-law, Dr. Wayne Smith, who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to my father-in-law’s pastor, he “taught us how to live, love, and leave”—a legacy worth striving for. 

These moments led me to more deeply reflect on the difference between building a résumé and building a eulogy. Our culture is so action- and achievement-oriented that we focus heavily on career success. However, if we stop and think about it, we recognize that we will be most remembered by our virtues and how we impacted the lives of others in our orbit (yes, I still like to use NASA terms!). 

If we’re honest with ourselves, many of us have a roadmap for professional success but less clarity on how to build a life of meaning that focuses on what’s truly most important.

Stewarding My Time 

As I quickly approach my 54th birthday, I’m thinking about my next 30 years and pondering Moses’ encouragement in Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” 

In my book, Out of This World Leadership: Living the Fruit of the Spirit to Lead Well (Westbow Press, 2025), my final tip is to “Prepare for the Future.” I encourage leaders to make plans while remaining open to new possibilities. 

With these recent reminders of lives well-lived, I’ve started my own 30-year plan to steward my remaining days well.

Three Phases of Brady’s Journey

1. Phase One (In my 50s): Building Reach & Influence 

• Focus: Speaking and ministry, leveraging my SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences). 
• Speaking Engagements: Target events at churches, conferences, and retreats, focusing on themes like Fruit of the Spirit Leadership, Lessons from NASA, and Servant Leadership. 
• Ministry Engagement: Serve in church leadership and mentor ministry teams using resources on my blog, including 350+ book summaries. 
• Platform Development: Grow my online presence and extend reach through podcasts and social media. 
• Goal: Sharpen content and establish credibility as a trusted Christian leadership voice. 

2. Phase Two (In my 60s): Expanding Impact 

• Focus: Broaden Impact through podcasting, writing, and national speaking. 
• Podcast Launch: Start the “Out of This World Leadership” podcast, blending Christian faith and NASA insights, featuring notable Christian leaders. 
• Speaking & Ministry: Expand to national events to reach more Christian leaders. 
• Writing & Publishing: Publish articles, books, or devotions on Christian leadership. 
• Mentorship: Launch a formal leadership mentoring program. 
• Goal: Build a scalable platform for national and digital ministry influence. 

3. Phase Three (In my 70’s+): Legacy & Multiplication 

• Focus: Mentorship, church-based ministry, and multiplying leaders. 
• Church Partnership: Support ministries by coaching staff and mentoring lay leaders. 
• Mentorship Network: Develop a structured program for Christian leaders to train others to continue the work. 
• Succession & Legacy: Identify and mentor at least a dozen leaders to extend the vision and archive my body of work as a future resource for leaders. 
• Goal: Shift from being the primary voice to multiplying others, leaving a legacy of servant leaders. 

Seek God

I’ve made my plan to steward the next thirty years well, but I remain open to wherever God leads. As I’m learning—again—through a focused study of Experiencing God (Lifeway Press, 2022) by Henry, Richard, and Mike Blackaby, it’s most important to learn where God is at work and join Him. My ultimate goal is to intentionally use the gifts, abilities, and experiences God has given me. 

Like Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7, I want to be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

How about you? Are you planning for the next 30 years and beyond? 

Over his 30-year NASA career, Brady Pyle earned the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal twice and contributed to NASA’s eleven-year streak as the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government. He was named HRO Today’s Lifetime Achievement L&D Executive of the Year in 2024, and this year Corporate Vision Magazine named his business, Out of This World Leadership, a top Christian leadership and coaching service.