We don’t always need to do huge things, and bring massive change to our lives to make a significant difference. One of if not my favorite personal development books is the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, which talks all about how making small positive decisions on a consistent basis makes a world of difference over time. Well, this concept is just one of those small things you can do to benefit your future self.

I’ll start off with an example that illustrates the concept well. I love water filters, and I finally realized why.  Every time I pour myself a glass of water, I was able to because I had previously filled up the container and gave it time to filter the water. This isn’t worth the excitement, I know, but  it’s a reminder that I took the time to do something I know would benefit my future self.  And to keep the cycle moving, I refill the container so I can do it all again.

The point is, take action in small ways that you know will serve your future self. It’s a morale boost because it presents itself as efficiency, productivity, and hope.

First, efficiency by doing a small action in the moment, you save yourself time in the future. And while you don’t know how valuable time is in that moment, it is refreshing to know that you prepared.

Productivity is about understanding the system, and taking action to be proactive about it rather than let it all build up.  

Hope is similar to how making your bed in the morning serves as a great reminder that you are capable of getting things done. Doing other small things will remind you that you’re moving the needle forward one way or another.

A few small things that come to mind that can serve you in a small way are, setting out your workout clothes beforehand, aggregating information or resources for meetings and calls ahead of time, and charging electronics before they completely need it. It instills a mentality that will help you make other small decisions, that turn into habits that compound and manifest in your life!

I saw a really powerful clip today that I wanted to share and elaborate on. It comes from Joel Brown, the founder of Addicted2Success.com, and an individual who has built a purpose driven empire online. His message is about embracing your uniqueness, specifically when it comes to pursuing your professional purpose.

It’s true, and Joel says it perfectly. Stay in your lane to achieve your god-given mission. We each have our own skill-set, our own speed, and our own path. Comparison can be dangerous because one person’s success is within their own context, that has aspects that likely doesn't apply to your own. So take a step back, have confidence in yourself, realize your capabilities and where they might lie. Know that your life and success is entirely your own and you shouldn’t compare it to others.

The way I like thinking about opportunities is, our life path is a hallway. And on each side of that hallway there are closed doors, but through hard work, patience, and doing the right things for the right reasons, you can open one or many of those doors. At that point, you then get to choose which door to walk through, leading you to another hallway with more doors to open.  

Sometimes, you need to take a chance. You need to step through that door not exactly knowing what’s in the room. Especially, if it is a high potential opportunity, you owe it to yourself to see it through because you may never get that opportunity again. Shoot your shot because you’ll never regret it!!

Positivity plays a huge role in this selection process. First, being a positive person will open more doors because you will be rewarded for the light you add to the world. Then, maintaining a positive outlook, you’ll have more confidence acting on those opportunities because you’ll be optimistic about the result potential you can achieve. Then the cycle starts again, through hard work patience, and doing the right things for the right reasons, you’ll open another door, pursue that opportunity, and look back at the unbelievable path that got you where you’re at.

But something that is fundamental to that progression is taking action when the opportunity is present! “Take every chance you get in life, because some things only happen once".

What do people think of you? Do they want to be affiliated with you? This is all a matter of reputation. Your reputation exists in so many different places, and it is really important to control the message that other people receive.  Especially in business, customers want to know that they are engaging with quality individuals who will be a good advocate for their brand. Kim Kaupe, the CEO of the SuperFan company takes it a step further, arguing that reputation is everything, and she’s got some good examples to prove it.  

This clip was taken from a conversation I recently had with Kim, who is our next Self Improvement Sit Down guest. In our talk, Kim elaborates on how reputation helps her align with companies who are a good fit, so delivers with high quality, sustaining her growth and reinforcing her reputation.  Hear more about it this Sunday when that episode goes live!

I wanted to pose a question to you, because it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. In my definition of life success, I have 6 pillars that function independently and contribute to overall success which are health, wealth, lifestyle, love, integrity, and Impact! I’m having a tough time quantifying exactly what is “making an impact”.

There are a few different ways to think about it, and the first way is to think about people and their life path as a river, and as someone who is impactful. You can either serve as the banks of the river that helps guide the water where it needs to go, or you can focus in on the individual drops over the waterfall. It’s a trade-off between helping many people in a smaller way, or a few people in a very individualized way. Neither is better, but both are different.

When I posed this question in the Self Improvement Accountability Group, I heard other interesting perspectives that were also centered around improving the well-being of individual people. And we realized, making an impact doesn’t need to involve people. The same applies to animals, environment, resources, and so many other things. But, I do find it interesting that we are so people-centric when it comes to “making an impact”.

And then, how can impact be measured? I always thought that the validation of someone telling me I made an impact was the level of impact I wanted to attain, and how I would measure it, but a lot of times we do great and impactful things that go unrecognized..

We are hearing from Tara Geraghty, the founder of Making Cancer Fun, an organization doing an unbelievable job providing support for families dealing with really serious health issues. She has an awesome message to share not only as an expert in the space, but having dealt with it first hand.

So, let’s all take a second to be grateful for our own health.

Ben Bradbury is a large advocate for surrounding oneself with disagreement.

"The people that you surround yourself with are there to push you forward, but they are also there to call you out. Yes, you want to surround yourself with people who are aligned with your why and people who will keep your why burning. Motivation is a little bit like taking a shower. You need it once a day. Also, you need people who know when you are going too far in the wrong direction. Be glass half full with building communities and surrounding yourself with the right mission, but also be ruthless with yourself. You are flawed and you will make mistakes. So, you will need people who will cut your rate of mistakes as quickly as possible. So, go out there and find that balance".

You do not want people who echo your thought because, then, what progress has been made? Sometimes you need people to call you out in order to get you back on the correct path.

First off, there’s something that many of us overlook that I want to address. A simple gesture of appreciation goes a long way. Big or small. Let’s think about context. Something that seems small to us might be huge for someone else. It reminds me of the quote,“to the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world”, we never quite know exactly what someone else thinks. Perhaps a small expression of appreciation reaches someone when they need it most when they’re at a low and need some support. A little thanks with a little positivity very well could have massive implications.

We can also think about the quote another way. Giving thanks for a little can grow into a lot within your own world.  Maybe having small moments of gratitude helps you shift your mentality to see more positivity and good around you!  Or, the small moment of gratitude helps you realize other blessings you have and it turns into a positivity snowball!  In any case, whether its affects you or someone else, a little thanks will help you find a lot.