Top 12 ways to start making a difference - and a living

Do you wish you could have a job where you could be making some sort of difference, but you like you comforts too? Are you worried it may be too ambitious to have the cake and eat it too? It is possible and you shouldn’t be listening to whoever says that it is too much to ask for. There are plenty of examples of people who have decided that them being happy in their work is a far bigger contribution to everybody around them, including themselves.

We have compiled the top 12 ways to start making a difference and a living based on the work we have done with hundreds of people ready to make the leap. What will it take you to start?

1. Know what making a difference means to you. On its own, ‘making a difference’ is a pretty vague term. Ask yourself exactly what this would be, and how you’ll know when you’re doing it. The clearer you can get about this, the easier you will find it to spot and act on opportunities.

2. Know what making a living means to you. Similarly, work out how much you need and want to be making now and in the future. Gathering information means your worries (can I make a living and make a difference?) become choices (if I want to make a living and a difference, I need to find and/or create work that pays £X K a year). Experiment with sticking to your budget – you may be surprised what you are spending your money on.

3. Know your strengths and what you can contribute. The more you focus on bringing these into your work, the faster you’ll move and the more fun you’ll have. Spend some time getting to know what you do best, what experience you have is transferable (usually a lot more than you’ll initially think) and where your passion lies, then steer your work in this direction.

4. Start now. What can you do in your current place of employment or in your community that will allow you to start making the difference you want to see in the world. Or better yet, how can you change your own way of living to reflect the difference you want to make? “Be the change you want to see in the world,” said Gandhi. By taking a stand and reflecting what’s important to you, you will not only feel more satisfied within yourself, people who might have work will find you more easily.

5. Be a pioneer – and learn to sell your idea. You could have the best idea in the world, but until others think so, you won’t be able to make much headway. This doesn’t mean you should give up on your idea, if you don’t get immediate buy-in. NOT AT ALL. Find out what people/organisations/the world are looking for around the issue your idea deals with, and figure out how their getting involved could benefit them and their priorities. If you are passionate about it, but also understand what their passions are about, you’ll find far more allies.

6. Focus far more on what you CAN do something about than what you CAN’T. Be creative. Want to make headway in equality, but fed up of being a woman in a man’s world? Turn yourself into a role model for other women in your profession. We often start thinking of our obstacles as facts. Most of them they are convenient excuses for us not to get out of our comfort zone. Again, be creative, what can you do to get over, under or around the obstacles that you might feel are preventing you from moving ahead.

7. Know what you’re worth and ask for it. Better to ask for too much than too little: people will bargain you down, but they’ll never bargain you up. If you are passionate about something, you may have a stronger tendency to think: money doesn’t matter. It does, you still have bills to pay. You will do nobody any good if you are suffering – if you are not there for yourself, how will you be there for others?

8. Get comfortable with marketing yourself. Talking yourself down does nobody any favours. And talking yourself up doesn’t mean turning into the person who trots out their verbal CV to everyone they meet. Experiment with ways of highlighting your strengths and achievements until you find something that you feel comfortable with. And help others do the same - they’ll be much more open to your talking yourself up if you notice their natural talents and successes too.

9. Become part of networks and groups that are of interest to you. Meeting others who are working in the area you’re interested in increases your chances of finding viable work, succeeding at it and enjoying yourself along the way. Make the effort, and get involved with whatever’s happening near you, or online.

10. Create a long-term plan. It may not be possible to move to your dream job or create your perfect organisation in a month, so develop a clear vision and set yourself realistic targets on achieving your vision. Include milestones and review times, and be prepared to adapt the plan as you learn from your mistakes.

11. Make the shift to learning by doing (vs waiting for the 'right' answer). This doesn’t mean taking unnecessary or genuinely dangerous risks, but you do have to be prepared to make mistakes to make any big, worthwhile dream real.

12. Have fun. You are passionate, you want to succeed, but don’t take it or yourself too seriously. There’s a time and a place for hard work – and plenty it – but make sure that you are both enjoying the work you are doing and having time when you are giving yourself the proper breaks you need.

By Satu Kreula and Holly Crane
With over 10 years of combined experience in supporting people from all walks of life figure out and make a living from their passions, professional career coaches and facilitators Holly Crane and Satu Kreula bring you this one-of-a-kind workshop bringing together the best of what they’ve learned in the field. They both believe that you can make a living and a difference - and it’s their passion to help you find what your contribution is!
For more information go to www.kickstartyourcareerchange.com