What Kind of a Difference Maker Are You?

Maybe you weren’t your best yesterday, but today is a brand new day, and the opportunity to change who you are and how you behave is yours for the taking! While we cannot deny our past mistakes, we should not allow ourselves to be restrained by them. We are so blessed that God’s mercies are new every morning, and we get a brand new chance to change those things that God reveals are not “our best”!

While all change is not good, staying the same can’t be all good either; after all, the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Do you find yourself doing the same things at your place of work, day in and day out? We often run on “auto pilot” and don’t take the time to evaluate what we are doing and why. This retrospective look forces us to distinguish between activity vs. accomplishment. What big and small steps are you taking on a daily basis to grow personally so that you can add value to your current as well as future roles? It is more important than ever that you increase your mental, spiritual, and physical capabilities. As we grow, we make connections with different people, as well as gain new ideas that will add to our being a person of value.

I am not suggesting that any of us become driven, which means that we are acting out of obligation or unhealthy compulsion. Rather, we should be thinking about the compelling reasons or passion and purpose of what motivates us daily. Is it to help others by being a positive influence, or is it the pure satisfaction of performing our jobs at the highest level possible? Whatever your motivation, let it draw the very best out of you.

How many good ideas that you may have go by the wayside? Often, we just don’t follow through to implementation on a good idea. Mark Sanborn, a Christian speaker and author of The Fred Factor, states that this is our IQ – not how smart we are, but our “Implementation Quotient,” which is the difference between having a good idea and implementing it. Start a journal or list, and write down the characteristics or attributes that you admire and want to implement. Perhaps they are ideas that God will drop into your heart that will start a brand new venture for you! The key is not to copy others, but rather apply them to yourself and add your own uniqueness!

All of this happens one act at a time. Can each of us commit to doing one extraordinary act every day? Think about the positive impact we could have if we did this every day for a whole year, even on weekends and while on vacation! This can be in a simple act:

1. One kind word to a loved one or co-worker
2. Going the extra mile to gain the right kind of attention from your boss
3. An unexpected act of kindness to another, even to a total stranger

These are the things that will change each of our lives from the ordinary to extraordinary.

Lastly, do not compete or compare yourself to others, but rather compete against yourself. It is much more productive and causes continual improvement.

This article was originally published in SHINE Magazine Summer Edition 2009.