In this podcast, I explain 7 essential things that you need to do to make a positive impact, lead well, and make your life count for what matters most:

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Episode Outline:

Have you ever thought about the impact you are making? Do you ever wonder about the following questions:

• Am I making an impact?
• Does my life count, and does it count for what matters most?
• What is my calling, what am I being called to do, and who am I becoming in the process?
• Who am I?
• Does my life matter?

This week’s show will focus on helping you through this process. This week’s theme is “Impact,” and the following crossword puzzle serves as a great definition for the word Impact:

I

Must

Personally

A

C

T

In order to act and to truly make an impact – a positive impact – you must map out a course of action in the right direction. To be a leader who others want to follow, you must lead yourself well.

But how do you know which direction to go? How do you know the paths that will lead to fulfillment, contentment, true joy, and a life that is invested in the right people and things?

For me, it comes down to 7 essential things:

1. Mission
2. Vision
3. Values
4. Roles
5. Goals
6. Action Plan
7. Accountability

Mission – Just like a great business or organization has a corporate mission statement, you need to develop a personal mission statement that communicates your calling and why you believe you were created by God. This process engages your heart and head and enables you to commit to say this is what my life is about, and I am going to go all in to make sure my time, talent, and treasure is devoted to this mission and calling.

Vision – Once you articulate your mission, it is important to visualize what this looks like in practice. Clear vision creates focused commitment.

Values – Develop a set of 5-7 core values that you want your life to represent, and create a list of leadership behaviors that further explain what these core values look like in practice.

Roles – Identify and prioritize the roles you play in life, which allows you to engage in and embrace the platforms you have been given.

Goals – Clearly defined roles often lead to very specific goals. The most successful people that I know and work with create compelling goals and then direct their focus on a daily and weekly basis to make them a reality. Also, remember to develop both achievement goals and process goals.

Action Plan – Goals take flight when you develop an action plan to achieve them. The point is that you want to break down the goal you want to accomplish into manageable steps. Goals don’t just happen by writing them down and hoping they happen. It takes a plan with action steps focused in the right direction.

Accountability – To achieve anything meaningful in life, you must have accountability first to yourself and then to others. Self accountability involves tracking your progress and being authentic and real with yourself about how you are doing including what you are doing well and where you may need to redirect more energy, effort, and focus. Make sure that you also involve key stakeholders in your life to help encourage, challenge, and hold you accountable to the goals you have committed to.

This is true not only in achieving your goals but also in becoming the person you were meant to be. To have true impact, you must personally act. Creating your personal mission statement, clarifying your vision, developing your core values, identifying your roles, crafting your goals, creating an action plan, and building in accountability from yourself and others will enable you to make the most of your moments in life and lead you to a fulfilling life not just a full life of repetitive tasks and meaningless minutes.