There’s Really Only 3 Ways To Create Impacting Change In The World

As we find ourselves living in times of relative consumerist comfort within globally connected civilisations that have law and (somewhat) order to them, we find that those with the most basic physical needs met are more driven by a growing purpose of making a difference in the world.

It’s almost become a bit of a cliche to say you want to do such as thing, but in this article, we consider just how we might truly go about making a difference and seek to create impacting change in the world.

The Three Main Paths To Impacting Society

When it comes to making a difference in the world, we are often faced with multiple paths to choose from. Among the various options available, three prominent approaches stand out: seeking a position of power, engaging in activism, and creating something of real value.

Let’s take a look at all three and consider their pros and cons.

1) Seeking a Position of Power

This method is the most established and throughout history leaders who harnessed positions of power to enact positive change have left a lasting impact, whilst many people with power over the course of history have indeed shaped history (for good and for bad).

There are advantages and disadvantages to seeking power to impact change in this way.

Pros: 

Influence and Decision-Making: Occupying positions of power grants individuals the authority to shape policies and make critical decisions that can have far-reaching effects on societies.

Resource Allocation: Leaders in power can direct resources toward pressing issues, channeling support and funding where it is needed most.

Policy Reform: Through legislative changes and institutional frameworks, power holders can initiate systemic transformations to address societal challenges.

Cons:

Self-Serving Agendas: The pursuit of power may lead individuals to prioritise personal gain and self-serving interests over the greater good, hindering genuine progress.

Insecurity and Control: The quest for power can be driven by insecurity, resulting in a desire for control that stifles adaptation and hampers necessary reforms.

Lack of Inclusivity: Leaders may overlook the diverse needs and perspectives of communities, leading to social imbalances and marginalisation.

Throughout history, anyone seeking to affect change through time often found it was near impossible without some form of status or prestige, and when you are ‘at the top’ you tend to be able to get around the red tape easier (or even create the rules that limit and restrict others).

Considering it was the formation of civilisations that ensured people were able to live longer and more peaceful lives – providing they live within societal rules – than the constant insecure times of war and famine before, it’s no wonder that many people are likely to conform to societal governmental control from a young age still to these days.

It seems the safest option for survival.

Yet, as people become more self-aware of the delicacy and inevitability of their life, and become more used to the general comforts societal living brings, people begin to feel as though there must be more than living to exist through each day for what is essentially comfort but not purpose.

People started to seek more, and with this, we are seeing a rise in two other forms of living, both of which strive to lead towards making a difference in the world (a purpose beyond their own physical survival).

2) Making A Point Through Activism

Activism is nothing new. Whilst every era has had its share of activists and rebels, it’s really seen a huge increase during the last 100 years or so (and exploded today in popularity, with waves and waves of protests and stands being made via fast-spreading social media).

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s showcased the power of activism in driving social change. Led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., the movement fought against racial segregation, prompting legislative reforms and ushering in greater equality for African Americans.

Today, there are many forms of activism.

Activism can absolutely be an effective tool for creating change, certainly in terms of standing up for human rights and forcing social & political change as a collective, but it can also lead to problems.

Pros:

Amplifying Voices: Activism provides a platform for marginalised communities and individuals to raise their voices, ensuring that their concerns are heard and acknowledged.

Raising Awareness: Activists play a crucial role in shedding light on pressing issues, educating the public, and inspiring collective action.

Social Mobilisation: Activism has the power to mobilise people around a common cause, fostering solidarity and driving demands for change.

Cons:

Lack of Concrete Solutions: While activism raises awareness, it can sometimes fall short in translating intent into tangible solutions that address the root causes of societal challenges.

Virtue-Signaling: The prevalence of social justice virtue-signaling can overshadow productive action, leading to performative gestures without substantial impact.

Fragmented Efforts: Activism often involves multiple groups and perspectives, which can lead to fragmentation and hinder cohesive efforts toward finding comprehensive solutions.

Whilst those few in power seem to have a direct route in being able to create an impact (often through control), activists are essentially the people’s route toward trying to make a difference (or at the very least to be heard).

Yet, there’s a fundamental flaw in why activism often falls short of doing anything tangible other than raising awareness of issues (although still important).

It doesn’t create viable solutions. It could do, but when forcing change in this way it too often leads to false starts as people don’t really get on board until they experience the impact or issue themselves personally, and when they don’t they tend to fall off the bandwagon as soon as it loses steam (and as fast as they joined it).

In that sense, it becomes too passive. Active in voice, but passive in truly creating change in the long run.

It can often become more of an accessible channel to ‘moan’ or ‘blame’ in order to let off personal steam in the safety of a collective, but doesn’t really take much responsibility in crafting solutions that can provide alternative forward-thinking perspectives, and this is certainly true when we talk about issues such as climate change.

It can also lead towards aggressive and somewhat hypocritical ‘cancel culture’ motives, again a mitigation tactic rather than an adaptation tactic. At worst, it can become a ‘mindemic’ of some angry voices who seek to play the victim (and who find any protest or identity group to join) but don’t seek to actually create meaningful change.

Yet, there is a third way. One that leads towards a much more creative and adaptive option, whereas the other two are more likely to get stuck in a drama triangle-like game of status-posturing and blame-mongering.

3) Creating Something Of Real Value

This doesn’t mean being ‘greedy capitalists’ or seeking to make money selling anything to people (that they don’t need). We’ve already gone through that, and we should’ve learned by now that humanity doesn’t improve from over-consumerism, it only gets worse.

Creating something of value is really about purpose, generativity, and legacy.

As we get older we don’t remember the days we spent working in a company that sold things to people they didn’t need. We want to think back and hope we did something good with our lives, not just for ourselves but in terms of a legacy we can leave behind.

In my belief, humans are not wired just for survival, but to seek to improve and thrive.

It’s why we can often feel disappointed still when we may have physical comforts and other general survival needs covered. It’s why people can come alive and feel more purpose when they are fighting for something to improve their lives.

When people have nothing, they don’t just have a motivation to survive the next day, they have a purpose to strive to make their life better.

Yet, today this really is a viable option, as never before have people been able to have the amount of tools available to them to create value, whether from their own bedroom or through collaborating and starting up a project with others.

For example, one idea can lead to empowering millions of individuals living in poverty to access financial services and start their own businesses. This not only improves people’s livelihoods but also creates a ripple effect of economic and social transformation in their communities.

We can all influence big change when we see problems that need solutions, rather than just see problems as something to moan about or create red tape to prevent solutions.

However, our core ability to create as humans is often misplaced (rather innocently) into hobbies or into dreams of becoming an entertainment star (due to the prestige and fame it brings – we are heavily influenced by that model after all).

Yet, when we place our creative talents into areas like social entrepreneurship or coaching etc. we can really begin to create value and make a tangible difference to people’s lives.

That said, again, as with most things there are a few cons to this approach too. So, let’s address them first.

Cons: 

Resource and Knowledge Requirements: Creating value often demands access to resources, funding, and expertise, which can pose challenges for individuals or communities with limited means.

Balancing Profit and Purpose: While value creation can have transformative effects, striking a balance between profit and societal impact can be a complex endeavor.

Unintended consequences: Despite the positive aspects of creating value, unintended consequences can arise. These consequences may include environmental impacts, unintended social repercussions, or the displacement of traditional practices or industries. It is crucial for value creators to be mindful of the potential unintended consequences and take measures to mitigate them.

However, despite the cons, this third way seems to be the most effective way that most people can truly create a positive impact with their life, as it seems the most tangible and forward-thinking approach that lights up our prefrontal cortex to get us to develop and show initiative, which The Envisionary is all about.

If we consider the positive effect of seeking to create impact and create meaningful change through creating something of value, there’s plenty, and it holds a unique appeal for individuals and communities alike.

Pros:

Tangible Impact and Solutions: Creating value is directly linked to addressing the needs and aspirations of people. It seeks to provide practical and sustainable solutions to societal challenges and needs, making a noticeable and tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities and bringing about meaningful and lasting change. 

Empowerment and Agency: By creating value, individuals and communities gain a sense of empowerment and agency. They become active participants in shaping their own destinies and driving positive change in their surroundings.

Entrepreneurial Spirit: By fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, this approach drives economic growth, job creation, and societal progress.

Sustainable Long-Term Impact/Progress: The pursuit of value creation promotes long-term, sustainable progress. It involves looking beyond short-term immediate fixes and focusing on comprehensive solutions that can endure and adapt to changing circumstances, anticipating future requirements, and ensuring sustained positive outcomes. 

Innovation and Adaptation: Creating value necessitates innovation and adaptation. It encourages individuals and organizations to think creatively, explore new possibilities, and develop approaches that push the boundaries of existing knowledge and practices.

Scalability and Replicability: Successful value creation initiatives can be scaled and replicated, amplifying their impact. When solutions prove effective in one context, they can be adapted and applied in other regions or sectors, multiplying the positive change achieved.

It should now be clear that the path of creating something of real value emerges as the most impactful way to make a lasting difference in the world.

By fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, individuals and communities can generate tangible solutions that directly address societal needs. Whether it is through groundbreaking inventions, transformative business models, or impactful social initiatives, or mini-adjustments and life hacks to improve life in little ways, the creation of value brings about meaningful change and paves the way for a brighter and more inclusive future (as when we work on it together we can transform our world together for the better).

Get Started Creating Something Of Value

So, if creating something of value can be our most productive door towards creating impacting change, the next question becomes ‘how can we get started creating value?’.

The first thing you can do is to drop the protest placard and seek to invest in yourself, as our ability to create change really begins with how we look out at the world and our ability to spot and identify problems to solve, ones that help humanity improve and that can lead to viable working solutions that will help people’s lives.

The Envisionary helps you learn how to train your forward-thinking muscles through articles, techniques, challenges, and our new ‘get out the box’ course, so you can learn to adapt (from limiting blocks), think differently, create more fluidly and effectively, and envision needs.