5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Impact and Influence

What was the best advice you received when you turned 16? Do any of us remember the advice we received as teenagers? Certainly at age 16, few of us were paying much attention to worldly advice although our parents were urgently sharing it.

My wife wasn’t shying away from the challenge to impact and influence our oldest son when he turned 16. She requested friends and family write a letter to Matthew answering the question, “What advice would you give to a 16 year old?”

My brother-in-law proved not all advice is created equal by constructing a memorable top-ten list.

I am pretty share someone shared, “The best things in life are free.” But number two on the top-ten list made the point with more impact and influence.

Bake potato or french fries? Baked potato! You can add butter, sour cream, chives, and sometimes bacon bits for free. Free is good!

Who doesn’t love free gifts? Some gifts can’t be bought, but are yours to give away for free.

Here are five gifts you are free to give away every day that will increase your impact and influence on the people you care about most.

1. Encouragement - Carol Dweck is a research psychologist at Stanford University and author of “Mindset.” Dr. Dweck said, “The best gift you could ever receive is the encouragement to love and embrace challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.” The people we care about in our lives need encouragement, want it, and don’t get enough of it.
2. Smile - A smile is the universal currency of goodwill and health. You can change someone’s entire physiology with a smile. When you get someone to smile it can generate the same amount of brain stimulation as 2,000 bars of chocolate. You get the same benefits, and who would have thought smiling gives you the brain stimulation of chocolate without the calories?
3. Time - Time is the one resource you possess that is totally agnostic -we all get the same 24 hours in a day. That is why it is such an incredible gift.
   • Schedule time to commit your undivided attention to the people you love and care about the most.
   • Commit time to use your skills and talent to support someone in need who could never pay you back.
4. Handwritten note (HWN) - Pick up a pen and write a note to someone to express your love, thanks or gratitude. A HWN is personal, meaningful, enduring, and permanent. A HWN is a reflection of great leadership and true friendship. Any expression of thanks, encouragement, inspiration, sympathy, appreciation, or acknowledgment will not get lost in a digital inbox or get filtered into a junk file.
5. Phone call - When was the last time you answered the phone and heard someone say, “I just called to tell you how great you are. You are an inspiration and a blessing. I want to let you know I am praying for you to be your best today,” and then hangs up. What kind of day would you have? This is a gift everyone would like to receive.

So what is it going to be, baked potato or french fries? Free is good!

How about taking the  “Free Gift Challenge?”

For the next 30 days, give at least one of these gifts away every day. Then at the end of the 30 days assess what impact it has had on your life, and those you shared these gifts with.

It’s free and who knows it may lead me to share more of my brother-in-laws great advice to a 16 year-old. Wouldn’t you like to know what advice was wrapped up in, “Scrambled or sunny-side up?”

Let’s just start with free is good!

Are you in? Just type in "Yes" below and accept the challenge.

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