You’ll Make Very Little Impact

You’ll Make Very Little Impact

Doing Things Differently

There’s certainly a chance you’ll make a very large impact, but the chances are slim.

Slim indeed.

But this should be a motivator more than a turn off.

With nearly 100,000 public schools in America, as a teacher, you have an opportunity to do something different without negatively affecting the system of the other 99,999 schools.

With 500,000+ businesses starting up each year, you, as a now business owner, have an opportunity to do something different with your business without it negatively affecting the trend of others starting their businesses.

With 290,000+ books getting published each year, as a writer you have an opportunity to do something different without breaking down the publishing industry.

There are so many people doing what you are doing that you now have permission to do what you do in a drastically different way. And don’t forget, no one is paying much attention anyway.

I wrote you’re unlikely to make a huge impact, a real dent in the universe. It makes me wonder if knowing that, are you willing to give up your attempt? If you may only influence one other person through your trial of something new, something different, do you believe there’s no point in following through with it then?

Would you rather an aspiring teacher quit his pursuit and work at a gas station instead because he knows he may only impact one or two students in five years of teaching?

This is a call to experiment. And once you experiment, experiment more. Regardless of whether you’re making a large or small impact doing so.

If it’s any consolation, your chances of making a huge positive impact are far greater than making a huge negative one. It’s easier to redirect a current than it is to get others to stop all currents completely because of some pesky seaweed buildup.

 

Stay Positive & The Only Negative Impact You Can Make Is Not Making An Impact At All

Photo credit goes to one of these people

What Matters Most About Your Reach

It’s about what people keep of yours, right? They keep and hoard your books and are the first to buy one when it’s released. They keep their name tag they got at your event they attended. They keep the t-shirt with your logo you gave them. They keep remnants of you in their memory box or inspiration folder or Safari bookmark. Was any of this your goal?

I think it’s better to be talked about, to get someone to wear the t-shirt in hopes someone else asks about the logo, to encourage your tribe to share the books they buy with friends who can also benefit from them and to create an online space where like-minded followers can connect with each other.

Impact is about moving, about connecting, about shaking people into action, not about storing memories.

 

Stay Positive & What Are You Getting Your Audience To Do?