Goals that align with your Values

What does kosher fish have to do with your career advancement?

In 2016, a fairly well-known Israeli minister, got up every day at 4 A.M. While his colleagues were still in bed, he was already driving down the highway. His office at the ministry of education in Jerusalem is south of his home, but each day he headed to the north, destination Haifa. There, a sick old man whom he took care of was waiting for him. He bathed him, dressed him, and gave him breakfast.

At that time, the minister in question was already making his mark on his professional life. He had already been a commander in an elite military unit, a successful entrepreneur with two exits, and a former minister of the economy. However, unlike others, his professional development never prevented him from dedicating some time each morning to the important things in life, keeping true to his values.  As he advanced professionally, he was protected by his values.

In Israeli tradition, the kosher fish, is a symbol of this same life principle. A fish is considered kosher if it has two things: fins and scales. First, the Torah dictates that for fish to be kosher they must have fins that they use to move forward, to advance, through the water. Advancing in life is a ... mitzvah!

But unlike some young entrepreneurs who, when they succeed, forget their values and forget where they came from, we must advance while holding on to our values. Thus, the second condition for kosher fish imposed by the Torah is scales; we protect ourselves with our values like the scales protect the fish. 

סימני דגים מפורשים בתורה כל שיש לו סנפיר וקשקשת טהור

The signs of fish are explicit in the Torah: All that have fins and scales, kosher. And fins, it is what it swims with. And scales, they are hardened skins on it. (Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 83)

Fins and scales, is just one of these enough to be kosher? No. For example, a fish with only scales and no fins is like an overprotected person who is barricaded in his environment and imprisoned in his comfort zone without fins, without the desire to advance. Is that the model you want to follow? No, because you’ll never grow and develop. On the other hand, a fish with fins and no scales is like the billionaire who advances but thinks of no one but himself. Is that the model you want to follow? No, because you won’t leave a positive legacy behind you. Both are necessary. You need fins and scales to advance and be protected by your values, to advance and have a positive influence on the world.

NYU professor and entrepreneur Scott Galloway exemplifies this principle. Always striving to advance and move beyond his comfort zone, he has founded and even sold multiple companies since the 1990s (Prophet, RedEnvelope, the digital intelligence firm L2 Inc, Firebrand Partners, and an online education startup, Section4). He's also been on the board of directors of well-known companies, led TedTalks, and he hosts a popular podcast. Clearly, he is a busy and ambitious man, but when in the midst of his career, his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Galloway put his career on hold to care for her and be with her in her final months. He knew the importance of family and elevated his values over his career when it mattered most. One of the big lessons Galloway took from that time spent with his mother is that "Where you die, and who is around you at the end is a strong signal of your success or failure in life." Even if you are successful in business and make millions, you're only truly successful if you build meaningful relationships and make a difference around you.

How can you implement this commandment to advance in life while upholding your values on a daily basis? You can maintain a family routine no matter how busy you are. You can interact as much with friends as you do with clients. And you can even spend as much time on activities that leave a mark on the world as you do on social media. In short, dedicate time to the important things in life. By doing this, you will be protected by your values even as you advance toward your goals.