Maxwell Leadership Podcast
Episode: How to Make Your Future Bigger than Your Past
Host: John Maxwell (with Mark Cole & Chris Robinson)
Date: November 12, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode delves into the vital leadership principle of always striving to make your future bigger than your past. John Maxwell and his team discuss how transformational leaders can look ahead with anticipation, not apprehension, and how practical, daily habits can unlock potential regardless of past achievements or mistakes. The conversation is both motivational and tactical, giving leaders at every stage tools and mindsets to ensure a fulfilling journey forward.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Importance of a Bigger Future
- John Maxwell opens (04:27) with the “law of lifetime growth,” asserting:
“Always make your future bigger than your past. That’s a wonderful lifetime growth law.”
- The past offers raw material; it should be reflected on and learned from, not lived in.
- Leaders separate themselves from being trapped by situations or relationships by continually creating a bigger future.
2. Managing the Future One Day at a Time
- Maxwell stresses the power of daily action:
“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” (05:00)
- The secret to success: focus on your daily agenda (from Maxwell’s book, “Today Matters”).
- Most people get bogged down by trying to handle too much future at once, but the “scorecard” for tomorrow is how you handle today.
Memorable Quote
“Daily, we are either repairing or preparing.” (06:37, John Maxwell)
3. Don’t Fear Failure – Write Your Own Ending
- Don’t let fear of failure stop you from starting something new:
“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse new things. The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: Could have, might have, should have. That’s pure sadness.” (07:38, John Maxwell)
- We can’t rewrite our past, but we can write a new ending.
Notable Poem Recalled by Maxwell
“Though you cannot go back and make a brand new start, my friend, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end.” (08:12)
4. Facing the Future: Apprehension vs. Anticipation
- Everyone faces a choice in attitude:
“There are two ways to face the future. One is with apprehension. The other is with anticipation.” (09:01, John Maxwell)
- Successful people accept responsibility for “now”; unsuccessful people dwell on yesterday.
5. Maxwell’s Five Steps to Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past
John’s personal process for growth (10:30):
- Review – Honestly examine what has happened.
- Reflect – Think deeply about the lessons from those events.
- Recover – Make adjustments and corrections.
- Rearrange – Change structures, plans, or attitudes so as not to repeat mistakes.
- Recharge – Find activities/things that refill your energy for the future.
Memorable Advice
“Look at the past to learn from it. But don’t let the past control you today or tomorrow. Make it your teacher, don’t make it your master.” (10:52, John Maxwell)
In-Depth Application & Leadership Conversation
Building a Community That Supports Your Future
- Chris Robinson (02:08) shares his experience coaching new Maxwell Leaders, highlighting the power of community and incremental steps.
Why Leaders Struggle With Bigger Futures
- Mark Cole (13:53) attributes struggles to:
- Laziness (losing hunger)
- Over-fulfillment (success causing complacency)
- Apprehension and fear of risking what has been achieved
- Success can create comfort, which diminishes anticipation for growth.
Quote
“Too much success doesn’t make you hungry anymore. You’re not hungry for it. You don’t want to go after it.” (14:50, Mark Cole)
Risk and the Willingness to Fail
- Chris Robinson (15:41) notes some people fear risk even when they have little to lose. The lesson:
- Being willing to risk and fail is often a differentiator for achievers.
- Mark’s advice:
“…embrace failure as a friend, embrace attempts as an expectation, and embrace pursuit as a non-negotiable.” (16:31, Mark Cole)
- Chris’s practical method: Learn a little, do a little (18:11). By taking small steps, you get real feedback and keep progressing.
Memorable (and humorous) Quote
“On the way to success, there’s a whole lot of do do on the way.” (20:22, Chris Robinson)
Making Today Your Masterpiece
- Mark Cole (21:05) cites the importance of focusing on today’s performance:
“Your masterpiece needs to be today—not tomorrow…If you decline today, it’s why John says you’re only as good as your last book.”
- Don’t “save your best for later”: Give your best effort every day—there will be more “best” tomorrow if you do.
Reconciling the Past to Unlock the Future
- To move forward, you must make peace with the past—not live in regret.
- Mark shares the story of a CEO with no regrets, signifying he’d truly appreciated his past and built on it. (23:08)
“If you have not reconciled the past, if you’re still in regrets of the past, you are endangering a better future.” (23:15, Mark Cole)
Apprehension vs. Anticipation: Personal Reflection
- While some leaders are naturally apprehensive (often the “execution” partner to a visionary), Mark has learned to reclaim anticipation, which is more natural to him but requires conscious choice in certain roles. (24:51)
The Power of Recharging
- Of Maxwell’s five steps, Reflect and Recharge stand out as crucial for lasting performance.
- Both Mark and Chris discuss the importance of identifying your personal “recharge” mechanism and integrating it into your yearly plans. (26:35)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The secret of your success is always determined by our daily agenda.” (05:41, John Maxwell)
- “We cannot rewrite the past, but we can write the future.” (08:02, John Maxwell)
- “Make it [the past] your teacher, don’t make it your master.” (10:52, John Maxwell)
- Chris’s encouragement: “Your best days are ahead. I mean this. This is a statement that I love. This is a statement I believe…” (13:28)
- “Learn a little, do a little.” (18:11, Chris Robinson)
- “If you haven’t reconciled the past…you are endangering a better future.” (23:15, Mark Cole)
- “Don’t be done. Don’t ever be done.” (29:41, Mark Cole)
- “Your future grows when you align yourself with something bigger in the world. We call that significance.” (30:10, Mark Cole)
Key Timestamps
- 04:27 – John’s core mindset: “Always make your future bigger than your past.”
- 05:00–06:37 – How to handle the future: “one day at a time.”
- 07:38 – Danger of living in the “could have, might have, should have.”
- 09:01 – Apprehension vs. anticipation.
- 10:30–10:52 – Five steps to a bigger future.
- 13:28 – “Your best days are ahead.”
- 16:22 – Embracing failure and risk.
- 18:11 – “Learn a little, do a little.”
- 21:05 – “Your masterpiece needs to be today.”
- 23:08–23:15 – Why reconciling the past is crucial.
- 24:51 – Personal tendencies toward apprehension or anticipation.
- 26:35–29:22 – Practical thoughts on recharge and personal renewal.
- 30:10–32:33 – Connecting purpose to significance and future fulfillment.
Action Steps & Takeaways
- Review, Reflect, Recover, Rearrange, Recharge: Use these steps at year’s end or after any major initiative.
- Embrace daily action: Make today count; don’t save your best for later.
- Let go of regret: Accept and integrate lessons from the past without letting it define you.
- Choose anticipation over apprehension: Even execution-minded leaders can cultivate excitement for the future.
- Build and participate in supportive communities: Becoming part of transformational networks (like Maxwell Leadership) creates momentum for a bigger future.
- Identify and schedule what recharges you: Make this a non-negotiable in your annual planning.
Final Encouragement
As you prepare for a new year or new season, remember that the biggest competitive edge in leadership is believing and acting on the idea that your best days are ahead—no matter your past. Step into anticipation, give today your best, learn continuously, and lead others into a future bigger than anything you’ve experienced so far.
“Make it your teacher, don’t make it your master.” – John Maxwell (10:52)