How to Create Lasting Impact on Others

If our words are omnipotent and capable of affecting positive change in the lives of others en masse, at which point do we look beyond appeasing the machine for the greater good of creating impactful content?

A time to reflect

This evening, I sat alone behind the closed door of my small, dark room desperately seeking for a voice of inspiration within the discomfort of my own silence. For as long as I’ve known, I’ve tread along a rigid creative path to learn, excel and find a modicum of success along the way, but after mastering multiple disciplines from a technical standpoint, it dawned on me that no amount of statistical success and proficiency within a field would lead to happiness without the awareness to create content, or write a blog that has a genuine, meaningful impact on not only my own life, but on those who could benefit from seeing those words written on paper the most.

We buy into the fallacy that there’s a “right way to create content”, and find ourselves sliding down the slippery slope of obsessing over generating viral topics, structuring the most click-worthy title and editing our thoughts to soften the readers’ sensibilities and mimic that which those to whom we look up to have done before us.

Truth be told, anyone who remotely understand the nuances of Search Engine Optimization, finding a popular niche, and the influence of using eye-catching thumbnails and titles can tell if we’re pandering to readers in the hope of going viral. I’m not condemning those who do find success by following this pattern of learned behaviour to the T, as I’ve adopted this motion on countless occasions myself, but rather, my intention is to spark a discussion surrounding short term value Vs. creating long-term impact.

Whenever I catch myself coming undone, I always switch my attention to Charlie Chaplin’s great speech for humanity within The Great Dictator. I recommend you to do the same as it’s an extremely powerful juxtaposition of hope and discontent.

“We think too much, and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity” — Charlie Chaplin (The Great Dictator)

Without overgeneralising, I’d like to think that people gravitate towards blogs that are not only insightful, but also injected with a healthy dose of organic storytelling, personality and authenticity. My favourite authors have the endearing ability to provide value for their audience within the constructs of their unique imagination and real-life experiences.

The next time you consider writing a blog, ask yourself :-

Does the material align with your personal beliefs and outlook of the world? In what ways do your words and themes positively affect the life of your audience? And lastly, will you look fondly back on your work with a beaming smile across your face?

Given my previous reservations about becoming another cog in the wheel, it’d be contradictory of me to argue the toss that there’s a secret sauce to creating impactful content, however, these are the core values that I carefully adhere to before loosely putting pen to paper… Or, in modern terms, before receiving the tactile feedback of my finger pressing into my keyboard keys and transferring over to my monitor’s display.

Hold-fast. Stay true

Say what you have to say, but say it with conviction. Don’t just draw on your brain power, go with your gut, pull from your heart and share your truth without the fear of falling into old habits. While not everyone will be pleased, interested or agree with everything, they will at least respect your honesty, and for those who can relate and resonate with your approach to an issue, your clarity and consistency will create enough incentive and value for them to care to learn more.

Think for yourself, write for others

Rather than reaching into the tombola of procedurally generated topics, draw inspiration from your personal passions, conversations with family and friends, or nostalgic experiences that evoke emotion within you, and find a way to transcend that message beyond yourself. Much like you’ve come to expect from a blockbuster Disney movie, it’s integral that your followers are learning something new throughout, with the inevitability of a moral at the end of the story. Humans are intrinsically invested in the thoughts and feelings of other humans, and if you can peak their interest with a compelling story and a memorable life lesson, you’re in good stead to create impactful content, regardless of how big or small that impact.

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” — Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)

Be brave, be vulnerable

If you’re willing to open up a window into your own life by conveying your deepest vulnerabilities and sharing light on your successes and failures, you create a mutual opening for your audience to sympathize, empathize and experience a level of trust that extends beyond the surface layer. What you deem to be weakness, is often that which gives another person strength. Talk to your audience as friends, not followers, and in time, they’ll look out for you as friends look out for one another.

Know your audience

How are you expected to understand ‘what’ impactful writing consists of without consciously using your time in an effort to learn more about those who take an interest in your work. This is an easy fix. Spend 10–15 minutes of your day scoping through your followers’ publications and take note of any running themes, highlighted segments, quotes and comments that have had a lasting effect on that individual. Additionally, spare a moment to spread the love by engaging with a clap, highlight or comment of your own. This will improve your skill to diversify your writing across a range of unexplored areas, yet this time, with the awareness that you’re creating an infrastructure of followers who are not just there for you, but stay because you’ve listened to what they have to offer to the world.

Don’t pool all of your resources into research

Research and reading is a key facet in your ability to grow and demonstrate that you have depth of thought, but too much of a good thing is a fast track to diluting the part of your brain that provides one-of-a-kind answers that is synonymous with you, and only you. Research should aid in the development of your narrative, but shouldn’t form the crux of your opinion.

A lasting thought

Our work should not be measured by our efforts or the success it breeds, but rather within the impact that it has on others. By writing for others, we can find meaning in our own worth to the universe. After all is said and done, I’d like to leave this Earth in good faith that I’ve left a positive mark on the lives of my fellow humans. I don’t want people to remember me for my name, but instead, I want to people to share the memories of what we collectively achieved.