When I sold my house, gave away almost everything I owned, and went traveling 7 years ago, I never dreamed that exploration, that nomad adventure would lead here. To a business where I can help so many others make a difference.
We’re in a fast-changing world, and some changes, you might agree, have not been an improvement. Haven’t you wished you could do something? Something positive? Change things for the better?
Here’s the good news, in the midst of all the fake news: you can! In fact, you can change the world. Your world. By having impact.
Having impact is more than a mission, more than a purpose.
Those things, mission and purpose, can still be just about you and your own development.
While that’s important and an integral part of impact, it’s not the whole picture.
Impact is how you bring out your best in your business and life, and how you contribute your best to the world.
Whew! Does that sound like a pretty tall order?
It can be. But I want to make it easier for you, by providing you with some great tools to help you in the process.
Because it’s all a process. You’re having impact, right now, whether you know it or not.
You’re having impact in how you show up, every day.
So let’s make it count, ok? Becoming conscious about the impact you want to have and how you want it to play out is how you make it count.
I never would have gotten here, after taking the leap into my nomad adventure, if I didn’t look at where I am right now, and how I got here. If I didn’t acknowledge and explore my feelings. If I didn’t have a practice in place. If I didn’t look at where I wanted to go next. That’s why I’m really excited to share the high impact workbook and weekly planner with you. I truly think this process and practice is what helped me turn huge upheaval into impact.
In the video, I share a couple of things that I’ve found so helpful in having impact, as a helpful addition to the workbook and planner. I hope you find it valuable.
But let’s start with how you got here, before we look ahead.
2017: This year in review
When I look back on this past year, it was a great opportunity to put into practice key aspects of what it takes to have impact, which I highlighted in the headings below. It’s has been a year of learning for me, experimenting, trying new things in my business. Some things didn’t work. In fact, a couple of things really didn’t work.
But I learned from what happened, and I took that learning into the next experiment. I took a step back from intensive interacting, online and in person, to get a clear sense of what was important to me, my clients, and my world.
1. Keep experimenting: Though some things didn’t work, I kept going. The most successful people in the world fail with a breathless rapidity. It was my goal to “fail faster” this year, to experiment more, to see what worked and what didn’t. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as draining as I thought it might be. In fact, looking at things as an experiment, learning from it, and moving on quickly to the next was actually energizing!
2. Learn about yourself and others:
The result was, I learned I was more resilient than I thought I was. I reminded myself that engaging my left and right brain really is a great combination.
I also learned so much about other impactful entrepreneurs. I’ve had some stellar guests on the Work Alchemy podcast this year, including spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson. I asked better questions. I dove deep and brought out aspects of people’s businesses that our listeners said they wanted to know. My interview skills continue to increase, and I’ve got some very cool guests coming up in the new year.
3. Be conscious of your impact and use that knowledge for good:
This year, I spent some time in big crowds: I gave a keynote that people are still talking about months later. That felt great, to empower people to think about and take action on their impact. When I saw how my talks help people focus more on their impact, I decided to plan for more speaking in 2018.
By year’s end, I’m in a much better place than I was at the start. Income is flowing again, tripled from last year, in fact.
You’ve had similar experiences: some failures, some successes. What did you experiment with? (Yoda did say there was no try, but he didn’t say anything about no experiments!) What did you learn from your experiments (good and bad)?
What, looking back on your year, has fed you the most? Surprised you the most? Stopped you in your tracks or slowed you down the most? What would you like to change?
2018: What’s your intention?
My intention for the coming year is more: more free tools and gifts to help you have impact, more spreading the word about the podcast, and more speaking. Plus, my book about impact will be coming out next year. More about the book later!
My intention is to make a ruckus: to raise awareness and provide a nurturing place for entrepreneurs to expand their impact.
What’s your intention? What do you want to bring into the world in 2018? What would you like to change, to offer, to bring forth?
Here’s to taking what we’ve learned and gained from this year and others past, and to 2018, the year when everything changes for you and your world. The year you have impact.
p.s. Feel free to share this with someone you know who wants to have impact!
What a great post. Love the practical applicability and will definitely be applying this to squeeze more productivity out of myself. I’m at a crossroad at the moment, and I greatly admire your courage to sell everything you owned to go pursue your calling. Shows what an independent thinker you are and it shows in your article. What could be the best decision for me is what I’m looking at. I’ve got the courage, but is it the right decision
I’m glad you found the post so helpful, Hassan. Big decisions can be challenging – defining the impact you want to have can be really helpful in making those choices. You can ask about each option, will it help you have the impact you want to have? I hope that’s helpful.