The cynic in you wants to discount this statement. That’s because you don’t yet believe that you can change the world. Or you don’t care to. We’re not judging.
People who crave change often get themselves into a trap of trying to do everything at once. They really do want to “be the change they want to see in the world” (to paraphrase Gandhi). But they don’t know how to start, or remain consistent in their endeavours. So they end up trying to “boil the ocean” and then ultimately give up in frustration as no one recognizes their efforts, or they fail to see results themselves.
On the other hand, starting small and doing less, allows you to focus on one thing that you can do every day. And that one thing, done consistently, can change the world.
Look at James Robertson, a factory worker from Detroit who recently made headlines. James did not set out to change the world. He just needed to get to work. It was his consistency in his commitment, his selflessness in his daily task and the simplicity of the effort that led him to change the world. James had no car, he had to get to work from his home, he was healthy, so he walked. Twenty one miles a day. For a decade. Now he is an inspiration to all of us who suffer perceived hardships and need reminding of the power of persistence.
At Kiosk, we’re proud to work with companies that give people the tools to make small steps in life changing directions, whether that’s online education that fits around the job that someone’s already working hard to hold down, or an online payment system that allows a programmer to start building a business, one small payment at a time. These are all small steps, that also happen to be big steps.
You can change the world. Do less, but do it, do it well, do it consistently and change will happen.