We’ve all had days (sometimes weeks, months, maybe even years) when we’re drained from the work we do. We feel it doesn’t matter. It seems it’s not making an impact.

Work we were once passionate about becomes work we dread.

Things we loved doing become tiring, dull and cumbersome.

Take heart my friends; the work you do matters.

Why Does It Matter?

Whether you’re a janitor or the CEO of a company. If you’re moving boxes or flying planes or teaching kids or blogging or just being a student, what you do matters.

Here’s why: because what you’re doing is impacting other people. I can’t think of a single isolated occupation that in some way doesn’t affect other people.

If you’re an accountant, someone is relying on you for accurate numbers.
A salesman? Someone is relying on you for quality service and product that solves problems.
Janitor? Clean rooms.
Mathematician? The fundamentals of numbers that affect our lives every day.

“Seeing” The Results

We’re not all blessed to physically see the direct results of our efforts on the people we’re impacting, but here are a few lenses to look through to truly understand the fruits of your labor.

1. Direct. This is the most obvious indicator of making a difference. People are impacted from your work while you’re with them. You  teach a lesson or give a talk and you can see people changed. You encourage someone or uplift them through what you’re doing, and it makes a noticeable difference right away. Direct interaction is the easiest way to see your work make an impact.
2. Experiential. Your work gives someone an experience. Think of the engineer who designs a roller coaster or the director who makes a movie. They might not be there when it’s happening, but they can know that their work will impact people down the line. Think what the finished product of your labor means to the end consumer.
3. Indirect. This is a more difficult scenario to envision. These are the effects we often overlook. Envision a maid. Her job is to clean. There’s rarely direct interaction with anyone, so it’s easy to think that dusting and sweeping isn’t making a difference. Now envision a traveler that’s had a long week. They arrive in a spotless, organized, inviting room that was just what they needed for a pick me up. When you take pride in the work you do, even if it doesn’t involve direct human interaction, you’re making an impact.
4. Solutions. If you’re an inventor, think of creating a product that makes life easier. Think beyond the profits, beyond the shipping and selling. Think of the end consumer, and how much easier their life is if they can find their lost dog with GPS or read a book while being covered with a blanket with sleeves. If you’re a programmer, think of how much fixing a tiny, annoying glitch will impact users. When you’re fixing things, no matter how small they may seem, you’re solving people’s problems.
5. Paid Forward. When the work you do has a domino effect that you can’t see or envision, think of how it’s helping people impact others. Just like when you hold an elevator door for someone, and that person in turn helps someone carry their groceries in, and that person helps a little old lady cross the street, and so on down the line. You have no idea what a simple seminar or sermon, a roller-coaster ride, a clean room, or a new product could do to someone. Know that when you’re helping those people, they’ll want to continue to spread the love. Never underestimate the power of taking pride in your work.

Your work influences more people than you think. Don’t let them down.

You know that feeling after your payment has been processed for an As Seen On TV product that you can’t get the money for shipping back on? You just got a box on your doorstep with a Slap Chop that didn’t change your life and you found out the billow pad they made your Snuggie out of gives you a rash?

It’s deflating.

Overhyped Advertising + Underdelivered Product Quality = Vows Against TV Products and Nightmares About Billy Mays.

In ReWork by the founders of 37 Signals Jason Fried and David Hansson there is a blurb on being “At Home Good”. Essentially, it’s the idea that a product that may not be as flashy as others when you first come across it, but after spending time with that product, you can’t help but realize how remarkable it is.

When a product doesn’t deliver and is just bought on the basis of sketchy marketing, it’s simply in-media good. It seems good when the media presents it the first time around, but when it comes down to it, it’s more smoke and mirrors than quality.

Now apply this principal to people.

Ask Yourself…
When someone meets you, do you wow them with a facade but fail to be genuine?
Do you have an act, build yourself up, or put on a show that works on the surface?
Now when they get home and think back to your encounter, are they still impressed or do they feel like you just berated like you’re on the campaign trail?
Are you connecting with people or are you marketing yourself as something else?
Are you engaging, being truly interested in others, or do you just seem like a good deal before someone walks away?
Are you talking more than you should? Are you listening to what they have to say or just planning your next canned response?

Don’t advertise. Don’t project a false persona. Let your true personality shine through–imperfections and all. Get vulnerable. Be honest about your weaknesses. Be real with people.

No one is looking for perfect packaging on the outside only to find an empty box upon further inspection.

Be someone who makes people think when they get home, “There’s more to that person than meets the eye.” Walk the talk.

Photo provided by michale.

When you’re in a group of people and you’re being chased by a bear, how fast do you have to run to make sure you won’t get eaten?

Faster than the slowest person.

Now consider the process of being picked from a pool of applicants for a job, the process of gaining a new customer, or being the winning contestant on The Bachelorette.

To win the job, win the customer, or win the “dream” woman, you have to outrun all of the other contestants to survive. Lucky for you, they all run at the same speed.

The vast majority of people run at the same speed as everyone else.

Anyone can submit a resume online.
Anyone can spam a customer.
Anyone can apply to be on a “reality” TV show.

None of those things take more than the click of a button. So, if anyone can do what you’re doing, why do you think you deserve it?

Common answers most often included:
“My resume is solid.”
“Our price is reasonable.”
“My personality is fun.”

There are a whole lot of solid, reasonable, fun people out there, and they’re all saying the same thing as you.

Here’s the reality check. You are not entitled to anything other than a self-directed pat on the back for being just like everyone else.

If you want to stand out, if you want to get the job, get the customer, or get the girl, you’ve got to be willing to run faster than the rest.

If you want the job, you’ve got to make a phone call, send along three sheets of outstanding recommendations, direct HR to your personal blog, and show them out-of-this-world projects to wow a future employer and literally show them what makes you better.

If you want the customer, you have to be an over-the-top advocate for them, provided an unbelievable service, show the value of what you’re doing, and give out the contact information for current clients that will pass along glowing reports of how unbelievable your product is.

If you want the significant other you’ve got to bring a dozen roses on the first date, send a thank you card for something little, be willing to be authentic, and show you’re not like the rest of the world through your actions and not just through what you say.

Mediocrity will get you eaten by the bear. Remarkability will allow you to watch everyone else get eaten.

(Photo provided by Alan Vernon.)

We’ve all had days when we aimlessly wander. We’ve got nothing to do, no direction, and no motivation to accomplish anything.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think a day of rest each week is critical, but every day can’t be a sabbath.

The thing about each day you wake up is that it’s more important than yesterday and tomorrow. The past can’t be changed and the future isn’t guaranteed. All you can do is make the most of what you’ve been given.

The 11 Things

1. Prioritize. Before you go to bed or immediately after you wake up, decide what’s most important for you to do that day. Pick three things, your most important tasks (MITs, borrowed from Leo Babauta’s “The Power of Less”), and make sure you take care of them. I’ve noted this principal before, and here I am saying it again–it’s incredibly effective.

2. Encourage. A day that matters more isn’t all about you. Give someone a call, send them a text or email, write on their wall, tweet them, or write them a hand written thank you note (yes, people still do that) and tell them you’re thinking about or praying for them. It’s unbelievably how much people appreciate things like that. Simply tell them you’re thankful for their friendship.

3. Declutter. Get rid of things you don’t need, don’t use or don’t want. Clutter distracts you, stresses you out, and more than anything wastes space. Clean out your closet, empty your desk, give some things away to people who need them more than you. I promise that a weight will be lifted.

4. Do something creative. Read, write, play guitar, have a chat with someone, ideate. Even if you aren’t “the creative/artistic type” pick up a novel, read a chapter or two and soak it in.

5. Clean. Once you’ve decluttered, this will be a whole lot easier. Dust, clean the windows, wash the dishes, go to the car wash, and take a shower if you haven’t in a while. You’ll just feel better (and your mom and dad…err…roommates will up your allowance….appreciate it).

6. Set goals. Decide something you want to accomplish by the end of the week, end of the month, end of the year or any other time frame you decide on.

7. Reflect. Look at all you’ve done. Analyze a situation or conversation that impacted you. Be thankful for all you have. Count your blessings. Be grateful for your accomplishments. During all of that reflecting, make sure you take some time to journal and write all those things down.

8. Exercise. Of all the things on this list, this one has the most immediate impact on your sense of accomplishment for the day. Once you get out of bed, put on your tennis shoes and make a move towards the gym, it’s not so bad. You’ll be glad you did it.

9. Eat healthy. This is a simple way to get more energy and feel the power of overcoming Twinkies and french fries. Just the idea of eating some vegetables should make you feel like you’ve done something.

10. Go out of your way to help someone. Remember how it’s not all about you? Hold open a door for someone carrying a bunch of groceries in your apartment, or, better yet, help them carry the milk yourself. If you see someone on the highway broken down (and they aren’t wearing a hockey/ski mask) pull over and see if they need help. It’s crazy what an impact you can have with just a few minutes.

11. Finish something you’ve been putting off. This blog post is a perfect example. I’ve been meaning to write this for sometime, and here it is. My day already matters more. Dust off that project, call up that friend, cross the t’s and dot the i’s and close the chapter on that book.

I was talking with a friend last week who was sending out “email blasts” to clients for a part-time job. [tweetmeme source=”jshirk.com” only_single=false http://jshirkman.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/n0-youre-spamming/]

He asked for insight about a certain way of following up with someone, so for background, I asked how he got the names of the clients.

“Our company buys lists of email addresses and then we ‘email blast’ them and ask if they need help with social media”

“Oh yeah, how successful is that?”

“Not very. We get a few out of every hundred to reply, even less than that are interested.”

“What type of research are you doing–are you googling them to see what social media they are already using?”

“No, no. We’re ‘email blasting’. I don’t waste my time on that.”

“How successful did you say it was?”

Email blasting is a fancy word for spamming. Not only are you spamming, but you don’t even have anything to make your spam enticing like “I saw you just got started on Twitter…” or “I was looking at your Facebook Fan Page and…”

Don’t think that you have to be buying email lists to be spamming people. Any time you’re interrupting someone who didn’t ask for it, whether or not you’re adding value, you’re spamming. If you’re wasting someones time because you’re not delivering what you promised, you’re spamming.

In fact, if you are…
interrupting someone who didn’t ask for it
wasting someone’s time because you’re not delivering what you promised
distracting someone from their work
giving a lecture that doesn’t connect with your audience
not adding value
emailing without permission
sending a resume without a phone call
contacting someone without a required action follow up or providing useful information
…you’re spamming.

Don’t believe the lie that you’re just doing your job. Refuse to spam. Insist on adding value.