How can you #MakeHistory today?

Jim Beam have been creating waves in the Whiskey field for a very long period of time, around 200 years to be precise.  Over that expansive period of time the Bourbon maker has come through many periods of unrest, like prohibition for example but remained true to their roots and history.  To celebrate their journey, Jim Beam have asked me to think about some ways that each and every one of us can make history too.

It would be nice to go down in the history books right?  Taking a place in the pages alongside the likes of Neil Armstrong, Martin Luther King and or the bourbon Jim Beam.  As nice a thought as that may be the odds are pretty heavily stacked against us in reaching that goal.  There are of course little things that you can do everyday to make your own history.  Things that can impact on your own life or that or that of those that surround you to help shape or #MakeHistory for you.

So starting today how can you start shaping the future and writing your history?  I have put together some simple yet effective ideas…

Always be life ready

Know your daily/weekly goals and start your path to achieving them by prepping in advance.  It may sound pretty obvious but being in the right frame of mind and fully prepared for a meeting or event will go a long way to help you reach your full potential.  That starts with deciding what you will wear the night before.  Not only will this save you time and stress in the morning but it helps you get into ‘the zone’.

Try something new everyday

Many of the famous men of history gained their status by being pioneers of the new and unknown.  Of course in everyday terms I don’t expect you to discover a new continent or species of wildlife but there are plenty of new things that you can try.  New sports, exercises, playing an instrument, learning languages or getting creative by trying a new art form are all out there to be explored.  I recently tried the Solex bike for first time while on a trip to France and fell in love with the cool retro style. Try to keep an open mind and embrace the new and different.  Who knows you could end up becoming a champion in one of these new areas and making more of an impact that you ever thought possible.

Take a picture

I am an Instagram addict.  I check the app far too many times a day and upload multiple images as I stumble through life, but there is more to the photo sharing medium that just a place to store pictures.  I see it as a modern-day diary that I can scroll through at any point and delve into my history of the past week, month, year or further back.  A great place to share you history with others and paint a picture of the things you like, have done and the people you interact with along your journey.

Change something

Zone in on that thing you are not happy with and set about changing it.  Be it your job, your body, your financial situation or something more personal to you, the starting point it to identify  and get to work on it.  Formulate a plan and set yourself some goals.  Of course you can’t make everything better with willpower alone but by getting in the right frame of mind and putting in a bit graft and time the change you can make can be pretty unbelievable.

Make someone smile

I left this one to the end as it is my favourite.  I think you will find few things as rewarding as seeing a smile on someone’s face that was put there by you.  There are lots of ways to do this and they can range from the small and simple (but highly effective tasks) like holding open a door or offering to carry some bags for an elderly person to something that takes a bit more time and commitment like volunteering for a charity.  It is amazing how such a small gesture can make such an impact on someone else out there, especially at this time of the year.

So there you have some suggestions from me on ways to help #MakeHistory.  It’s over to you, how are you going to make the difference today?  What are you going to do to get the ball rolling?