Don’t Talk About It, Be About It
The great thing about a blog is that you can say just about anything you want. There are no restrictions on content or length. There’s also not a quality requirement. It’s also not a requirement for anyone to read it.
The same logic applies to a podcast. You can say a lot.
There is one problem with all of this writing and talking. It’s just writing and talking!
Where’s the action?
Do Your Job
I have used the experience of my early college years as an illustration many times. I will do it again. But, this time it’s not about my battle with cancer and 9/11 experience. See the inaugural episode of Speaking of Impact for that.
Not being able to play football my freshman year was devastating. However, there were a few times that I was happy to sit back and watch what was going on. I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff for keeping me engaged in everything going on. They really made me feel as if I had something. I can’t really explain it. My oncologist didn’t communicate with them, but he told me to continue to take classes during my treatment for a reason. I needed a purpose. Football was part of it.
I would roam the sidelines during home games and follow our game plan. I’m not sure if I was getting the way or providing helpful insight or motivation to anyone. It was the best team we had while I was there. So, maybe I was better fit for that role than one on the field.
We were favored in most of our games that year. But, just like any favorite, we played down to our opponents on occasion. During a game against Maine, we had played particularly bad during the first half. The defensive secondary had played specifically bad. I was a safety at the time which put me in that group. Our position coach was Raheem Morris, a former Hofstra player, future National Football League (NFL) head coach, and current defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams.
Half-time typically lasts about twenty minutes. The entire team would head to the locker room as soon as the second quarter ended. We’d all pile into the room and get a quick announcement from our head coach (Joe Gardi, rest in peace).
After Joe addressed the team, all the position groups would split up and go to different rooms. The defensive backs (DBs or secondary) would go to the “cardio room”. This was a small room across from the weight room that had treadmills, stationary bikes (this was before Peloton), and ellipticals. It wasn’t exactly a great classroom setting, but it had a whiteboard (yes, we had those back then), and places to sit (sort of). I remember standing in the back of the room. It was more appropriate for the guys who were playing to have a bike to sit on (assuming that was somewhat relaxing).
Raheem would typically review a couple key plays from the game by drawing them out on the whiteboard. We would make any adjustments to the game plan that was needed. We might even “install” a new play in a span of five minutes. Before you know it, it would be time to head back to the locker room to hear what Gardi had to say before we went out to dominate (hopefully) the second half.
This week against Maine was a different story. We played so bad during the first half that it would have been impossible to cover the couple bad plays that happened. It would have taken an hour.
Raheem brought us into the cardio room and grabbed the customary dry erase marker from under the whiteboard. He turned around to address the group. Just as we expected him to pull off the cap and connect it to the back end of the marker, he screamed and flung the marker against the whiteboard. The cap actually did fly off and I figured it was an effective way to get it off the top of the marker. Raheem had no intention of drawing anything at that point. He yelled:
Bang!
I think the room shook when the market hit the whiteboard.
“Do your job!”
I think everyone was a little confused. There were a few other choice words and some undecipherable outbursts. It was clear he wasn’t happy with the performance.
It could have just ended at that point and maybe the boys would have been fired up enough to play better when the game started up again. But, there was more. There was an actual message. And perhaps this is what makes Raheem a great coach and led him to an NFL career.
It may seem obvious that football players need to do their “job”. However, there’s a special collaboration that has to happen in the sport. See my love for it explained more deeply in the September 22, 2020 E-Impact Blog entry and some more in E-Impact 34. Raheem needed his players to trust each other.
In football you spend a whole week preparing a game plan in order to coordinate how players will work together to win (win the game yes, but “win” each play). It’s impossible for every play to go as planned, but the preparation yields the highest probability of success. Players prepare physically, but also mentally. You have to know what your teammates responsibilities are and you must trust that they will take care of them.
In the first half of the game against Maine, we were not being outperformed physically. We were “freelancing”. Athletes are naturally inclined to react and “make plays”. But, you have to execute your responsibility first. You have to “do your job”. Raheem noticed that guys were going beyond the scope of the game plan. It was that simple. He was upset that we were throwing the game plan out the window and guys were not trusting each other.
We practiced and studied the plan all week. The players talked about it, but they failed to BE about it.
Being the Impact
Great planning is essential for success in many walks of life. It’s important in education, business, sports (as illustrated above), entertainment, journalism, etc.
You have to act at a certain point. You have to put the hard mental work to great use. I notice that there are a lot of great ideas spread around the world these days. It’s easy to share your thoughts. It’s easy to blog and podcast as I mentioned above. But, at a certain point, there needs to be execution of what you describe.
I could argue that blogging and podcasting is “acting” for me. I am spreading (or at least attempting to) the message of positive impact. But, I believe it would be disingenuous if I only talked about it. With that being said, I am headed to St. Paul Lutheran Church after writing this (at least some of it) to wash cars. There is a youth fundraiser going on.
I don’t mention the fundraiser to praise myself. It’s confirmation that I do (at least on occasion) act. But, it’s also an illustration of another point. The people of St. Paul that will be participating in this event will be doing two great things. They’ll be raising money for the kids, and they’ll also be washing cars for people in the neighborhood.
The carwash will be over by the time you read this. It’s not an advertisement. Yet, it’s a really cool event. It’s free to get your car washed. Anyone can drive through and get it done. The kids raise money by gathering pledges from people they know. It’s a win for all parties, a “3-Win” (check out Speaking of Impact episode 12 with John Balkam of 3rd Win, and author of 3-Win Sponsorship).
The event is three hours worth of action. We will be “being” about it.
The encouragement here is to participate in something great. Your impact efforts do not necessarily have to be creative. There are times in life that you just have to “be”.
It is most important that the car wash happens. It’s not actually that important on how and what the schematic (if there even is one) looks like. The pledges will come, cars will be washed, car owners will be happy, and community will be built.
I would imagine that Raheem would be happy that the “tire washers” washed tires and the “rinsers” just rinsed. They don’t have to be professional car washers. As long as the soap is gone when it gets to the “dryers”. People can do their job, trust everyone else is handling their’s, and we are making a positive impact.
3 Great Ways to Be
It’s okay to struggle with “your impact”. We all do. Everyone has a time in their life when they question if they are effective.
First of all, you can’t always be “impacting”. In fact, a great impactmaker is not always “on the clock”. You must rest and take care of yourself.
“How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?” is a recently updated article describing the need for sleep (physical rest). "Why Your Brain Needs More Down Time" is an article about mental rest. Read them and make time for your mind and body.
Secondly, the impact you make is a result of action. It is possible to make a positive impact without planning something. In fact, this can be the best most timely type of impact. It’s more of a lifestyle. You just do good things when they are needed. Just because you are not involved in a prominent and planned impact project doesn’t mean you are not an impactmaker.
Consider these things:
You are incredibly kind to everyone you encounter. You make people feel valuable, worthy, and loved.
You seek great causes to assist. You ask questions and lend your skills. You make the leaders of causes feel confident that they have help and are not alone.
You are a connector. You care about what people do and know what they need. Your efforts have created a web of impact that could not be planned.
Bonus Item:
You ARE an IMPACTMAKER.
Keep BEING it.