I write a lot about how we, as business owners, individuals, and leaders, should be concerned with the impact that we are making through our daily lives. But I am also concerned about a distraction to this goal that I see popping up all the time.

I always hear people that I talk to that are passionate about making a positive impact say “I want to change the world.” OK, so no doubt this is a great idea, but how does one actually set about changing the WHOLE world? Unfortunately, large blanket phrases like this can actually get in the way of truly making a difference.

I am a firm believer that the world would be a much better place if everyone would merely work on changing the things that they can control. Instead, what often happens is we get overwhelmed by the gravity of all the things we can’t change, like the whole world, and we end up giving up, or never really trying. In some ways, saying that we want to change the world is a copout. It lets us sound concerned, but the phrase is so ill-defined that we never have to sit up and do anything. There is no benchmark or waypoints with such a lofty goal to ever know if we are moving in the right direction or not.

Change the Things That You Can Control

Instead of trying to sound passionate and concerned, perhaps we should narrow our focus towards defining a smaller goal that can actually be accomplished. I am 100% certain that there are people in your life right now that could use your help, support, guidance, charity, friendship, and/or love. Sadly, many of these people, with real needs that you can help fulfill, are hidden by the shadow of the more lofty goal of changing the world.

So, before we all start lusting over the unattainable goal of changing the world, let’s first take a close look around us. Who needs us the most right now? What is something within ourselves, our family, or our community that we have control over that if changed, would make a positive impact in peoples’ lives? If we all just did that, the ripple effect could change the world.