“The best way to change the world is in concentric circles: start with yourself and work your way out from there,” writes James Clear in a recent newsletter. In our daily life and work, we sometimes forget that we have the power to positively impact others and essentially change the world. Although talking about making an impact seems simple, the action of creating change is challenging. Here are five questions to help focus our positive impact:
- How well do I know my strengths and weaknesses? Our strengths and weaknesses as people often align with where we can make the largest impact in society. The more we implement our strengths each day, the higher chance we have of positively impacting others. While improving weakness is important, doubling down on your strengths makes a larger impact on society.
- How can I make an impact in my immediate circle of people? Every person has an immediate circle of people that they can positively impact. Those people might be friends, family, or coworkers. By starting with a small group of people, making a positive impact doesn’t seem as daunting or unreachable. It’s up to us each day to find small ways to serve the people around us.
- What actions do I take each day that positively impact others? Our actions are the greatest aspect of our positive impact on others. When we audit our actions and reflect on them, we might find that they cause harm to others in ways that we didn’t realize. It’s also important to remember that we don’t need to take many actions: focus on a few high impact strategies.
- Does my career allow me to make the impact I want each day? Our careers are a significant aspect of how we impact the world around us. For some people, their careers are all about helping and serving others. Those people naturally make an impact because they’re in that environment each day. For other people, they might need to see past multiple layers in order to see it. It’s important to consider if our careers allow us to make the impact we want.
- How can I make a positive impact in my larger community? While making an impact in our immediate circle of people is important, we should also consider how to impact the larger community in which we live. Numerous ways exist to get involved and make an impact, so it’s important to find areas that align with your skills and interests.
Creating a positive impact begins with asking and answering reflective questions around life and work. Many ways exist to make a positive impact, but we need to narrow it down to a few areas of importance. People who make a significant impact find ways in their circle of people, in their work, and in the larger community in which they live. By being reflective about your impact, we can find small ways to change the world.
How often do you reflect about creating a positive impact?