What is an Impact Mindset?

An impact mindset is a powerful way of seeing the world.?

When Apple was looking to get a “formal” CEO, Steve Jobs asked John Sculley, the CEO of Pepsi, a famous question: “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or come with me and change the world?”

Steve Jobs undeniably had an impact mindset. It permeated his thinking and where he directed his time and attention. Love or hate what he developed with Apple and its products, he has had an impact in multiple dimensions of our lives long after his lifespan.?

This article isn’t about Steve Jobs, though. ?It’s about you.?

?How and where can you have an impact? How will you, as Steve said it, “a dent in the universe?”?

I’ll often have my clients think deeply on this question: If there was a foundation you established (possibly in your name), what would it be known for? What differences would it seek to make??

What answers would you come up with??

While Steve Jobs invited John Sculley to change the world, he’s also been quoted as saying, “things don’t have to change the world to be important.”?

All you have to do is change one person’s life.?

Ways You Can Make a Difference?

There are countless ways to make a difference, even with small resources. Here are just a few examples of how simple acts of giving can change lives:??

1. Clean Water?

? $50–$100: Can fund a share of a clean water system through organizations like charity: water.?Even $30 can provide a water filter for a family.?

2. Buy a Mosquito Net??

? $2–$10: Through organizations like Against Malaria Foundation, a small donation can provide insecticide-treated nets, preventing malaria.?

3. Fund School Supplies for Children?

? $10–$50: Covers notebooks, pens, and basic school kits for children in developing regions via programs like Save the Children.?

4. Plant Trees?

? $1–$5 per tree: Organizations like One Tree Planted or Eden Reforestation Projects plant trees to combat deforestation and support livelihoods.?

5. Help Refugee Families?

? $50–$100: Provides essentials like blankets, food, and temporary shelter through a group like International Rescue Committee (IRC).?

That Personal Impact

You can have an impact big or small in how you move through your life daily.?

My wife is great at just asking people that are in a service work at the grocery store, restaurant, almost every she goes, “how is your day going?” It’s amazing how they stop, look up, and reply with a smile. A smile that comes because someone cared to just ask.?

In every interaction that’s directed to making another person’s life better, you’ve made someone’s life better. You’ve brought value.?

You can have a beneficial impact with the way you do business. We have all had the occasion of dealing with a business that did not seem to care about their customers’ user experience. We’re left tired, frustrated and angry.?

Contrast that with a brand like Apple, who gives every thought to how their consumers will delight using their latest phone or computer. ?

This can be true even when something goes wrong. I had a stay last year with Ritz Carlton. We had three things go wrong, from the big (the room having a horrific odor), to the small (complimentary hot chocolate was supposed to be in the lobby and wasn’t). ?

Each time we brought the problem up, Ritz made the experience better, as if the problem hadn’t happened in the first place. I was hoping more stuff went wrong. ?

That made an impact on me. A positive impact that now I’m sharing with you. ?

That takes a business impact mindset.?

How Can You Develop An Impact Mindset??

Here’s a simple prescription: Pause, Observe and Care.?

PAUSE means to take a step back from the rush of the day, look around, and see the people. The people in all your orbits - your family, friends, work associates, clients, vendors, and those you see as you move through the day.?

OBSERVE their expressions, their situations and consider what might make a difference for their day.

CARE means allowing yourself to feel a genuine connection to the people you notice. Caring begins with empathy and goes beyond it. It’s the spark that drives action, no matter how small or simple that action might seem.

Big or small, you can begin today to cultivate an impact mindset.

You’ll find yourself smiling more. It helps lead to a positive circle of abundance thinking, joy, and more impact, cycling more and more.?

When you have a sense of abundance, you know you always have something to share, whether time, money or your energy. When you share and sense the positive impact you’re having, you promote more joy, and you want to do it again. ?

Here’s the challenge question we started with: if there was a foundation you established, what would it be known for? What differences would it seek to make??

“Cultivating an impact mindset isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment or resources. It’s about starting where you are, with what you have, and building from there. Whether through small gestures or bold actions, your care can create ripples that change lives—including your own."

If it’s your heart’s desire to make a dent in the universe, I’d love to help. ?Click the link below and we’ll talk about how you can put your money into action in the greatest way possible.

https://www.jscottfoster.com/complimentary-consultation

?#OptimalFinancialWellness #ImpactMindset #FinancialPlanning?

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