ON DIFFERENCE MAKERS
What was one thing you did today that truly made a difference? No doubt you did many things that mattered. Perhaps you made progress on a project or restocked the refrigerator with groceries. You may have fixed the leaky faucet or cleared your inbox before the end of the work day. Everyone completes countless tasks each day that matter, but are you capitalizing on the opportunities that will make a difference in your personal / professional life?
I woke up this morning at 5:30 AM to start my daily morning routine.
5:32 | Bathroom
5:35 | Dog
5:40| Prayer/Reflection - Exercise
6:45| Shower / clothes
7:00| Unload dishwasher
7:15| Prep breakfast / kids for school
7:45 | School drop off
Routines are essential parts of life, helping to automate our behavior and freeing up mental capacity for more challenging tasks. Interestingly, I’ve become more aware of how my morning routine flows seamlessly into daily / weekly routines that leave very little room for deviation lest tasks go undone. Somewhere in the craziness of midlife, my self-worth and accomplishment has unconsciously tied itself to completing my to-do lists, regardless of the true impact they have on my goals. Looking back, I can say that I have been an effective get shit done task completer. What I can’t say is that the tasks I have routinely completed have consistently made much of a difference on reaching my personal and professional goals.
What are DIFFERENCE MAKERS? Difference makers are the activities what Stephen Covey, author of the 7 habits of highly effective people, would call quadrant two activities, activities that are IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT. These are generally more challenging activities that take more time, energy, and often push personal comfort zones. They are the activities that when completed will have and enduring impact on your life/work. The reason they make a difference is because they have the potential to SHIFT your work and relationships. They can propel you to the next level.
Here are a few examples of common DIFFERENCE MAKERS:
Getting clear about your values/goals
Updating systems to be more effective and efficient
Enriching personal / professional relationships
Creating content that magnifies and multiplies your message/mission
Professional learning / personal growth activities
Consistently engaging in Difference Making activities is challenging because they get crowded out by routine tasks. It takes awareness and self-discipline to safe guard the time and expend the energy necessary to consistently identify and engage in difference making activities.
TAKE THE DIFFERENCE MAKER CHALLENGE:
Identify and complete ONE difference making activity this week.
Step 1: Identify ONE thing that if completed would have a significant impact on your personal/professional life.
Step 2: Estimate the time/resources it will take to complete the activity….. GET IT SCHEDULED
Step 3: Identify the urgent tasks that may show up to hijack your schedule and make a proactive plan to block… SAY NOT TODAY
Step 4: Commit. Complete. Celebrate.