The long-running format for the infomercial is to portray a frustrated soul struggling mightily to do something we can all identify with—mop a dirty floor, pry stuck brownies off a cookie sheet, find the lid to our 17th piece of Tupperware, etc. And the host then pleads, “There’s got to be a better way!” Cue the miracle solution (for just $19.95—operators are standing by!).
And while that somewhat hack premise is also a source of great innovation (FedEx, Amazon, Uber—they all found a better way than what existed before them), you don’t necessarily have to create the next big thing to find a better way. Maybe your better way is just a subtle change to a process, project, or organization you’re already a part of.
A former Collegewise student spent two summers working as a docent leading people on tours of a wildlife preserve in Southern California. Lots of summer camps and day cares would bring children to take the tours. And he learned pretty fast that their attention spans were just not long enough to survive the 45-minute tour, much of which focused on pointing out native plants.
So he took photographs of 10-12 plants and animals that onlookers could expect to see on the tour, pasted them into a document, and then created laminated copies. Whenever he gave a tour to a group of children, he gave each of them their page of photographs and had a contest to see which child could correctly identify the most plants and animals that appeared in the photographs. He turned what used to be a too-long-and-too-boring presentation for kids into a treasure hunt that they really enjoyed. And it became part of an endearing college essay about his summers leading people through the wild.
In their quest to be competitive for college, many students think about the resume splash of creating something from scratch. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, especially if founding a club, launching a non-profit, writing a play, etc. is something you’re legitimately interested in doing.
But don’t overlook the opportunities to create change and make an impact with the things you’re already doing. Every project, every organization, and every event has room for improvement. Maybe the opportunity for you to make your mark is to find a better way?