Making a Difference vs. Feeling Like You're Making a Difference
Making a difference and feeling like you're making a difference are two separate things.
Making a difference is all about positively impacting the lives of others. Feeling like you're making a difference is all about your psychology and emotions.
Some people give up because they don't feel like they're making a difference, even if they actually are. This is sad for two big reasons: first, the impact disappears; second, that person probably feels a bit like a failure, and they might lose some sense of meaning or purpose.
Here are three tips for feeling like you're making a difference, if you find yourself in need of that kind of emotional support:
- Work with other people in any capacity. Humans are extremely social creatures—when we're isolated, we lose our sense of purpose and meaning. Do your work with others, however you have to. Suddenly you might find that the same task or project feels way more meaningful.
- Track your work over time, and regularly review how much you've done. It's easy to forget how much work we did a week ago, or a month ago, or a year ago. Reviewing our progress can provide a nice boost—like, "Yeah, I have been taking action and making a difference."
- Do fewer things that are more important, and then rest. Ironically, sometimes it can feel better to do less each day, if you feel like you're working on the most important things. Choose one important thing, do it, and then be happy with your work. After you're done, do fun things and rest. At the end of the day, reflect on the big important thing you accomplished.
Great things take a long time, and to stay engaged for a long time you need to account for your emotions and motivation. That's why it's important to not only do good work (and that's a massive topic by itself), but to feel good about the work you're doing.
