OBSESSION: Why You Need it to Create Impact

A level of obsession is necessary if you want to have impact and make a bigger difference in the world.

Your vision, which is the way you’ll make your impact, should light you up. It should pull you toward it. It should be something you want to immerse yourself in, think about and get better at doing. Your dream or vision should be something that makes you want to get out of bed every day. You should want to live it and breathe it, pretty much every waking second.

In other words, you have to be obsessed with it.

When you have that, you’ll be far more likely to bring it to life. If you’re not completely captivated with your vision, and it’s not fueled by the things that fulfill you, then it’s not the right one.

When you take a look at the most successful people around the world, they have an obsession like that and it’s brought them to where they are – BUT – that success doesn’t always make them happy. Think about Robin Williams, Kate Spade or Anthony Bourdain. They were all successful and they were fully committed to their craft, but they weren’t happy.

That’s where fulfillment comes in.

Fulfillment is the thing that turns your obsession into a greater purpose. And it’s much deeper than a feeling of happiness or joy in the moment. A deep level of fulfillment requires three things:

1. Meaning. Only you can decide what’s fulfilling for you. These are the things that bring you joy, happiness, peace, alignment, a feeling of harmony, pleasure, delight and enjoyment. In other words, they are the things that create meaning and give meaning to your life.
2. Purpose. Your purpose comes to life when you’re aligned with your values and you’re using your natural born talents, as well as the skills you’ve acquired in your life, to make a difference. Your purpose gives you direction and a sense of satisfaction when you’re living it, especially when it’s moving you forward toward a bigger vision. That is extremely fulfilling.
3. A human factor. Fulfillment amplifies when you get to make a difference, in some way, for someone else. It can be something that’s life-changing for the world or can be a simple as putting a smile on a loved one’s face by making his or her favourite sandwich. When someone else benefits from our actions, it touches something deep within us, making it even more meaningful and purposeful, which is deeply fulfilling.

Now the questions are:

• What are you obsessed with?
• What makes you feel fulfilled?
• And what are you willing to commit to doing to make your dream or vision come to life?

Answering those questions is your starting point for making your big impact in the world.