Your Guide to Creating an Impact Plan

A process to improve your mental health and create impact around you

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You won't create the impact you seek without automating how you do it.

Automating your systems for creating impact helps eliminate the daily tasks you have, which allows you to avoid feeling like you always come up short on how you are impacting the world around you.

This process is about improving your mental health and creating the impact around you.

What exactly does it mean to impact the world around us? It is any action that creates a positive ripple in the people or the environment affected by it. Calling your sister, “just because” is impact. Picking up the piece of trash blowing across the park is impact. Founding a nonprofit to tackle hunger in your community is impact. Taking the time to sign up as a mentor to students at your alma mater is impact.

The list of what we want to impact never ends, and we can often find ourselves in the prison of "should." I should call my mom. I should volunteer for that nonprofit board. I should take the time to help at the food bank. The best way to tackle this is by creating a plan and system to allow you to say enough: If I can do these very meaningful things, it will be enough, and I will have created the impact that is important to me.

To build this plan, take out a blank sheet of paper and draw three large circles. In each circle, write the following categories: people, organizations and causes.

In the people circle, list up to ten of your closest family members and friends that you want to build, grow or maintain a relationship with. Under each person, write a single sentence that starts with; "I want to (see/call/write) to (name) every (day/week/month/quarter) because _______."

In the organizations circle, list up to three organizations that you want to help or work with. These can be educational, nonprofit, governmental and for-profit organizations. You can also include a company or business that you want to start. Under each organization, write a single sentence that starts with; “I want to (volunteer/donate/participate) with (name) at least (time/money/capacity) because ________.”

In the causes circle, list up to three issues that matter most to you. This could be anything from homeless housing to coding training to adult softball; there are no constraints. Under each cause, write a single sentence that starts with; “I want to (work on/advocate for/donate to) (cause name) with at least (time/money/capacity) because________.”

You now have your list and the exact way you want to impact each person, organization or cause. Next, look at a 90-day calendar and begin mapping it out. If there are people you want to be in touch with weekly, create a recurring reminder on your calendar "Every Tuesday, call Dad" or "On the 15th of each month, ask cousin Carl to lunch". For the organizations and causes, decide what the first steps are to engage with them, put it on your calendar and set up a follow-up no more than 90 days out. Once you have completed this exercise, you will be able to see how much time it will actually take and can either move forward or trim it back accordingly.

Use this as a statement of intent for how you specifically want to impact the people, organizations and causes around you.

The last piece of this is to set a 90-day recurring reminder with yourself to look back at your statement of intent and make sure it is still true to what matters most to you. If it does not, start the process again and refine it down. We are continually changing and so can our priority list.

By being clear about what we aspire to impact and building a system to remind ourselves to actually do it, we can create a massive impact on the world around us.

This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute a recommendation of any type. Please seek advice from your tax, legal, and financial professional prior to taking action. Securities Offered through Destiny Capital Securities Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC

Jarrod Musick, CFP, is the CEO and president of Destiny Capital. Musick serves his clients as their wealth strategist, with a primary focus on business owners. His passions include solving complex problems and building systems for our clients to allow them to focus on what matters most to them in their lives. Learn more about him at http://bit.ly/jarrod-musick/