Hi Friends,

A question I've been thinking much about lately is: What impact do I want to have?

But the bigger question here is how do you measure your impact?

Do you measure it by the amount in the bank?

Number of children?

Number of days lived?

Number of people helped?

Today, I'm not going to prescribe that there is one answer for everyone. There are times when focusing on your health or finances is a priority, while at other times, there are different priorities.

Here are a few things I use to find out for myself:

Questions/Tools to Discover Impact:

1. What do you enjoy, once experienced, leaves you feeling more alive? Obviously simple but easily overlooked - what we enjoy tells us a lot about who we are and what we love. And the critical focus here is that it's what leaves you feeling better at the end of the experience. As Derek Sivers put it so well, "If you're not feeling 'hell yeah!' then say no."
2. What is the typical defined 'end' of what you enjoy? Is it the same for you? Art is made for hanging on walls or selling. Inventions are made for products and businesses. But what if the art you made or the invention you created was simple for you to create, discover, learn, or grow? Instead of the typical goal of I work hard to make money, what if you were the entrepreneur who isn't into money, the artist who isn't into notoriety or the philosopher who isn't trying to win debates. How would it be treated during the process?
3. If money were no object and you didn't care what anyone thought: what would be the thing (or things) you would continue to do? After relaxing on the beach or sleeping in... what would you do in the world?
4. What is something you are loyal to but you don't have to try to be loyal to it at all? I have to work really hard to be loyal to things I don't necessarily enjoy, but the things I love... well, it's almost hard for me to not be loyal to them. In the same thought: what is something you would do, even if you didn't get paid for it?
5. Don't overlook the simple. This is probably where I miss my greatest insights and joy. It's too easy to overlook the simple in search of the complex. They say businesspeople especially are eager to find the simple and make it complex. What would your impact look like, even if it were simple?

My favorite finds this week

• Book I'm Loving: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. I mentioned it last week, but this is a must-read for anyone who works with people (everyone?) A solid read and valuable insights.
• Quote: "People always get their must, not there should's." - Tony Robins, a great reminder that when you push for something new, make it a should, an obligation, that can be the one factor that changes everything.
• (Fun) Video: Work from Home: Then vs Now by Trey Kennedy - Enjoy a 4min laugh about working from home during the pandemic.
• Poem: 'Worst day ever' poem that will make you think 🙂
• Quote:

“If you’re interested, you come up with stories, excuses, reasons, and circumstances about why you can’t or why you won’t. If you’re committed, those go out the window. You just do whatever it takes.”

All in,

David

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By David Iskander

I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, productivity, and faith.