If you suddenly disappeared from the earth, how many people would notice?
Of the people who would notice, how many would care?
It would be the people you’ve had the greatest impact on. You’ve already done that with the most important people in your life. They’re different people because they’ve known you. The greater the impact, the more they would miss you.
But we all have that desire to make that impact grow. We want to make a big difference, beyond just the people we know.
Some people go through life on a mission to amass great wealth. Their primary focus is themselves, making sure they’re taking care of their own possessions and security. They can be extremely successful in the process, but it’s no guarantee that they’re really impacting anyone.
Other people are focused on others. They can still become extremely wealthy and successful, but it’s their secondary motive. To them, success happens when they make a positive impact beyond themselves.
How Impact Happens
“Impact” is when something happens, and there’s evidence left behind afterward. If a shopping cart rolls into your car in the Home Depot parking lot, it leaves a dent. Even if someone took the cart away, you always have that little orange dent reminding you.
A single event can make a huge impact on a person.
Some events have a negative impact. A car accident, a spouse’s betrayal of trust or a terminal diagnosis changes someone’s life instantly and permanently. They’re worse off because the unexpected happened, and it was big, and it was bad.
Some events have a positive impact. Winning the lottery or landing a dream job or being in Oprah’s audience during giveaway season makes a positive impact, but it tends to wear off over time. That’s why most lottery winners end up with their original lifestyle after just a few years.
Both negative and positive events happen to all of us. They’re unplanned, unexpected and unpredictable.
At the same time, you can be intentional about making a difference with others. It doesn’t have to be a major event that changes their lives forever. It’s a choice you make – and it’s planned, expected and predictable.
The Good News
You look at those who are making a massive impact, and you’d love to do the same. But you think, “If I had the time or money or education or connections or skill or situation they have, I’d could do that.” You want to make an impact now.
But you can’t rush it. It’s tough to just go out and make a big impact. There are too many variables that you can’t control.
It’s easier to make a small difference right now, right where you are, with whoever you’re with.
Make a small difference long enough, and it eventually turns into a big impact.
Big impact happens in a crock pot, not a microwave.
And anybody can do it.
You can do it.
I experienced it when I was in high school. My youth pastor was someone I respected, and he took the time to make consistent investments in me. His hobby was rebuilding grand pianos, and he knew I was interested in both music and woodworking. So he’d regularly invite me to his shop and teach me the ropes. We’d work together for hours at a time on his latest projects, and he taught me how to build and tune instruments with precision.
Decades later, I’m a different person because of those times together. It’s not because of the skills I learned; it’s because he believed in me, encouraged me and intentionally invested in me. I don’t remember a lot of what we talked about, but I knew how he made me feel. That became the foundation for everything I’ve done since that time.
The Small Road to Big Impact
If you focus on big impact, you’ll never get there. Impact almost always happens by doing the little stuff and letting it grow over time.
John wants to own a home. He barely makes it from paycheck to paycheck and always runs out of money before he runs out of month. He wishes things were different but feels trapped. Each week he buys 5 lottery tickets, hoping that his dream will come true. Statistically, his chances of winning are almost non-existent. Nevertheless, he’s betting on a quick fix to all his troubles. He’s shooting for the “big win.”
I asked my accountant friend Steve to run the numbers for me. What if John didn’t buy lottery tickets and invested the money instead? What would the results be if he invested five dollars each week at, say five percent interest? After forty years, that weekly five dollars would be worth over $33,000. That means he could make more by not playing the lottery than most people do actually playing it, and it’s an outcome that’s not left to chance.
The fastest way to make a big impact is to make a small impact consistently over time.
It sounds counter-intuitive to think small instead of big, when society tells us the opposite. How can we be sure those small steps will lead to big impact? Implement these simple strategies over time, and you’ll build momentum through the compound effect of your impact.
Be unique
It’s easy to watch what somebody else does and try to copy them. But that sabotages your contribution. The one thing that allows you to grow the biggest impact is to be yourself. You’re a unique blend of your temperament, your history, your experiences, and your passion. Nobody in history brings what you do to the world. When you try to be like others, you rob the world of your unique contribution. Your impact comes from being the best “you” that you can be.
Be forward-focused
Our past mistakes and choices can make us feel unqualified to make an impact. But those mistakes are part of your contribution because they’ve helped shape you. Author Emily P. Freeman says, “It’s your humanity that touches the soul, not your expertise.” If you’re perfect, others might be impressed. If you’re real, they’ll be impacted.
Be intentional
Goals are great because they give you direction. But once the goal is set, it’s time to focus on the daily activities that will get you there. Be intentional about taking those daily steps, because they’ll grow over time. Ignore them, and your goal of having an impact starts to fade.
Be proactive
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey suggests that there are things in life that we can influence, and things we can’t influence. Reactive people focus on the things they can’t influence, which paralyzes progress. They’re stuck complaining about everything going on around them. Proactive people are the ones who put their energy into the things they can influence. When they do that consistently over time, their influence grows exponentially.
Be patient
Anything of value takes time, and can’t be rushed. Diamonds aren’t shaped overnight. Babies take nine months to grow. Reputation is built one trusting action at a time.
Impact is a result, not an action. And it’s available to everyone.
Is it possible to make a big dent in the world?
Absolutely. But it won’t happen overnight.
Make a little dent.
Right now.
Right where you are.
Do it with the people who are already in your life.
Do it well.
The dent will grow over time. When you’re gone, your impact will still be changing their lives – and the lives of everyone they come in contact with.