"Time Waits for Nobody"

In the words sung by the immortal musical genius, Freddie Mercury, “Time waits for nobody.”

I don’t know about you, but the next 6 weeks for me are absolutely crazy, and it’s like this every year. With so much to get done, there is just never enough time. There certainly wasn’t enough time for Freddie, who died from AIDs-related pneumonia at the age of 46 this week in 1991.

Looking back on the lives of those who have shaped your life, and your world, the question begs to be asked: What will you do with yourself, your family, friends, talents, business, and your ability to make the world a better place before time runs out for you?

Not to be morbid, but really, what CAN you do to make a difference?

Do you carve out dedicated time for your family and friends? By all means, and absolutely, YES! 

Do you share your talents with up and comers, or just focus on moving your own organization forward? What about your staff and partners? How can you – together – make an impact on the world in which we live?

Answering the question you say, "Our mission is to “blah, blah, blah, blah; that’s how we make a difference.” Really? Great! How can those efforts, combined with others, be used to make an even bigger impact?

As the year-end holidays begin this week with Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, consider how you and your team can work together to make a difference in a new way. Here are a few ideas:

• Conduct a short fund-raiser for another organization, such as the Red Cross; given the unprecedented need in the world today, every dollar counts. 
• Call your local food bank and ask them what specific food items they need. Don’t just assume they need turkeys and cranberry sauce. Not everyone in need celebrates Thanksgiving in the US; really.
• Schedule a team-building (or family only) exercise by calling your local homeless shelter or hot soup kitchen to volunteer to serve on a day or week outside a holiday. They need help every day – not just on holidays. 
• Keep in mind that every group's needs are different. Who knows, they may prefer that you bring specific items or donate cash instead. Again, never underestimate the power of a single dollar for a nonprofit. 
• Work with other local groups, such as your church or synagogue, and identify a local nonprofit to adopt for the year 2014 and beyond. Consider free health clinics, under-privileged housing, after-school programs, etc. Imagine the impact they could make with your help.

This Holiday Season, as you celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or a holiday I unintentionally left out; consider finding a way to share the joy of the Season with others by building a years-long partnership with your local nonprofits. 

In doing so, you can unequivocally make a huge impact on the lives of so many others. If you have other ideas, please feel free to comment. That, too, can make a big difference! 

Remember, “time waits for nobody.”

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the nonprofit military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is also a published author on the topic of childfree living.