In the spirit of this book I’m not going to just acknowledge people; I want to share with you who has had an IMPACT in my life and who has allowed this dream of mine to come to fruition.

My parents. These are the people who obviously had the first IMPACT on my life and gave me both the DNA and emotional support I needed to succeed in helping people to realize their dreams. The blend of my solid, dependable father who showed me the rights and wrongs of the world and the colourfulness and eccentricity of my mother was a magical combination.

My older brother, Andrew Risner. The one person who has never been afraid to tell me when I’m off course.

Fran. My wife; the person who has stood by my side for the last 25 years and has never stopped loving me regardless of what I’ve done.

My son, Daniel. An amazing young man who every day inspires me in his determination and persistence; one to never follow the crowd and always happy to be true to himself.

My daughter, Sasha. A very special young lady whose beauty is equalled inside and out. A look from her can make or break my day. Thank you for being such an inspiration in my life.

Jack Canfield. My Coach, mentor and friend.

Brian Chernett. Who gave me an opportunity when he didn’t know if I could make an IMPACT with Chief Executives.

Mastermind Groups. Roy, Graham and Robin - my original Mastermind Team; thank you for pushing me to become one of Europe’s leading speakers. To my current team: Shay, Steff and Steve; thanks for a world of inspiration.

Joanne Bloomfield. A lady with so many talents who has supported me through this whole project. Her dedication and commitment embodies the whole concept of this book, especially when I have not been ‘in the room’ at many of our meetings. She is a consummate professional who has never quivered in the challenges of writing this book with me.

Steff. My conscience.

John Moseley. For bringing this book to life.

Ali. Someone had to have the job of looking after me. Nobody else in the world puts in as much effort to make sure I’m equipped to IMPACT the world.

I am delighted to recommend this book. To all those who wish to be motivated to change or ‘continually improve’, this is the place to start. I have heard Nigel speak and seen Nigel make an IMPACT on Academy members many times through the years - his power to transform individuals and entire organizations is breathtaking.

His IMPACT presentation has been embraced by tens of thousands of people already and now this book will help hundreds of thousands more pick up on the simple, but devastating, power of creating IMPACT. This simple philosophy is creating positive change all around the world and anyone who takes the leap of faith needed to make their life ‘worth living’ will be forever in Nigel’s debt. In my opinion, life is definitely worth a little more effort and with Nigel’s support you can make a real difference in your life - right now, this minute, today.

A best-seller in the making.

Brian Chernett, Founder and CEO of the Academy for Chief Executives Ltd

You’ve picked up this book. Well done.

But, are you going to do what you always do?

Which is absolutely nothing.

Or

Are you going to give yourself the chance to get the life you deserve?

The choice is yours.

It always has been.

Whether you purchased this book yourself, or you were given it as a gift, the fact that you have this book in your hands means you are probably looking for more from life. Some say they want to be ‘happy’, others say ‘I just want to achieve more’.

Everyone is different - or so it would seem. In fact, we are looking for the same thing: more. We just want it all in different proportions, colours, frequency and intensity.

The good news is getting more is simple. The bad news is that it’s going to be one of the most difficult journeys you will ever undertake. I have worked with literally thousands of people over the years, each struggling with their lives to one degree or another. One thing that everyone shares in common is the emotional equivalent of a ‘stubborn gravy stain’ in their life - the spot they just can’t put right no matter what they do. It is entirely possible to excel in virtually every aspect of your day-to-day life, but struggle to make any headway in the one area that is important to get right.

I have learned that in order to get more we have to follow a certain, clearly defined path and stick to it. After years of working with clients I have developed a simple process that literally anyone can follow; I call it The IMPACT Code. It’s so straightforward, it’s almost laughable, but it takes iron determination to make your life different and the simplicity of my model belies the fundamental nature of its mission - creating IMPACT, achieving more and ultimately getting the life you deserve.

My life has not always run smoothly, in fact there have been times when I have veered so far from my comfort zone I wondered if I would ever get back. With intense highs in my early career and devastating lows (of every kind) that followed in quick succession, I could never describe my life as ideal, but I have a great life and I’m very proud of it - warts and all.

I have been steadfast in my quest to get the best from every experience and ensure that I live the life I want, the life I deserve - even when the most obvious thing to do was give up in the face of my own mistakes. Bottom line: I don’t always get it right; neither will you. The important thing to remember is not to give up, but keep going. Remember the six key principles of the model and work on your life the way you work on any important project.

I want to help you achieve at least the level of success that I have enjoyed - which is substantial - and know what it feels like to be truly happy. I want you to love your life as much as I love mine.

So, why bother? Why is creating IMPACT in your life worth the journey? Like you, I have purchased dozens of ‘self-help’ books from a whole host of modern-day gurus, each promising their own brand of utopia. Unlike you (I’m guessing here), I read them cover to cover before I put them on my bookshelf. It’s my job to read them, but I still find it a bit of a chore. You are not alone if you have found it tough to get through some of these books or to find meaning in all that ‘chat’. Unfortunately, self-help books are only as good as you are prepared to be; nothing or nobody can help you unless you want to help yourself.

So, we’ll assume you want more from life and that you accept that creating IMPACT may be a path that could lead you to the Promised Land. Now is the time to open your mind to a new way of thinking. If you aren’t prepared to do that, then put this book down and come back to it when you have tried all of the other techniques and still don’t get what you want. This book isn’t an instant cure for a dysfunctional life. YOU are the only cure you need for your life.

So, what is stopping you creating IMPACT or allowing positive momentum to start?

Well, for most of us, and especially you, the answer is… YOU’RE LAZY.

‘That’s not very nice,’ you might say. ‘That’s not very impactful.’

Well, let’s face it, whatever you have read or listened to previously hasn’t worked. Otherwise, why are you still looking? Some areas of your life must still need attention or why even get this far into the introduction?

Together we are going to do, think, and create more IMPACT in your life. It is going to be demanding, difficult and at times unpleasant; if that doesn’t sit well with you, tough. If you are looking for a quick fix, there isn’t one. So, stop wishing and start working. At times it might all seem ‘a bit too much like hard work’ and that’s because it is.

The end result will be worth the investment of your time and energy. If you don’t believe me then carefully read the case studies I have included throughout the book and see how ordinary people have changed their lives for the better (often in the face of tremendous adversity) and in doing so have generated tremendous success and have had an enormous IMPACT on the world around them. Incidentally, there is a cash prize for anyone who can find an exceptional person who hasn’t worked hard, toiled at their ‘art’ or shed more than a few gritty tears along the way. The only place you will find ‘success’ before ‘work’ is in the dictionary!

It is going to be tough and even though the change may be easy to understand it isn’t necessarily going to be easy to do. Anything different, difficult, or challenging will always seem like hard work. If you feel like giving up and going back to familiar territory, consider the fact that your past actions have created your life today; a life you are not entirely satisfied with.

The Code that is locked within the pages of this book is waiting to be cracked and the rewards are more incredible than you could ever imagine. The IMPACT Code will teach you perseverance, tenacity, and most of all, commitment.

A friend of mine once said, ‘When all is said and done, much more is said than done.’

I have spent the last seven years working with thousands of people all over the world. From America to Nigeria, Dubai to the Ukraine, from Hungary to Israel and back again, and the one thing I have learned is that we all have the same issues.

Ninety per cent of people I meet and coach want to be loved, appreciated and acknowledged; money is usually far down the list. In fact, most people who seek executive coaching have got the money aspect of their life under control; it’s just the rest of their life that sucks. People all around the world are champion blamers - it never ceases to amaze me just what kind of grand delusions people have about the reasons for their unhappiness.

I ask them to categorize what could be done to help get what they want. Most people then launch into a rambling dialogue about what others could do to make their life ‘worth living’. So, whenever I ask, ‘Are you doing this to or for other people?’ I get a look of ‘Why should I?’ Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you want to create.’

Virginia Satir said, ‘We all have four basic needs: to be attended to, listened to, touched and mutually respected.’ How can we achieve this? Just reading this book isn’t enough, though that doesn’t mean it won’t have a profound IMPACT on you; awareness is the first step to achieving real change. However, we know from research that we - deeply flawed human beings - only remember 25% of what we hear, 50% of what we see and read (i.e., this book) and 75% of what we do. But we retain an amazing 90% if we do and at the same time teach others. So please, don’t keep these ideas a secret, do what the book suggests: learn and pass it on, so other people say ‘What happened to you?’ You don’t need to be evangelical on my behalf; I know the IMPACT Code works from the many thousands of testimonials I have received and, most importantly, because my life is so damn good (even the crappy bits take me somewhere better). Share for your own sake. Live the life you want; share it with others and reinforce your behaviour over and over again. Help others. Help yourself.

As I said, reading about IMPACT won’t create change, won’t give you more of anything of particular note. You MUST implement the Code as soon as possible. Why? It is a fact of human psychology that if we don’t start to implement something new within 48 hours of first learning about it, we never will. Surely not? Surely we can take this weekend to indulge in a few last days of comfy, dysfunctional living? No. If it’s time to change your life, it’s time to do it NOW. Otherwise, suffer the consequences of the Law of Diminishing Effect. If you don’t believe me, think back to courses and training you have completed in the past. No doubt you wrote hundreds of notes, decided - categorically - during the long training day to make every minute count, only to file your notes away in your desk drawer on your return, never to look at them again. That, my friend, is called Shelf Development. What we’re after here is a good old-fashioned dose of Self Development.

Before we start into the programme it’s important to remember that what you will read is my truth; it’s not the truth. Whenever you like an idea, implement it immediately, but check…does it feel right? If not (and there’s only a small chance you won’t like something), as Joe Calloway always says - let it go.

However, before you cast an idea into the abyss, you may want to first consider why it bothers you. Remember, you are where you are now based on past decisions and actions. Are you tossing the plan because it puts you outside your comfort zone or because you genuinely don’t agree with it? If you are scared of discomfort then I have only one thing to say to you: GET OVER IT!

Recognize that you have made choices along the way, and that’s why your life works or stinks. Einstein said, ‘The level of thinking that got you here won’t get you to the new place you want to be.’ Smart guy that Einstein fella.

In short, it means you are going to have to DO something different in order to get the result you desire.

Along the way, you will see quotes that I love. Print them out, place them where you can see them - learn from them. Again, human behavioural research has observed that unless we read/listen to something more than five times, it is unlikely to become a habit. Yes. You might have to read this book more than once. No apologies.

The whole memory-effect phenomenon is everywhere to be seen. That’s why your kids seem to remember every single word of their favourite pop songs; if it were you or me, we would listen once and hope to memorize the words. You have to believe in the reality of what we are - inherently lazy creatures. Fight the urge to be lazy and stick with the programme. I have lots of strategies for remembering good lessons or learning from experiences. You can develop your own, but some of the tricks that work best for me are making notes in books, using a highlighter pen to mark key passages, and reading everything that resonates with me several times (I have got books I have read literally dozens of times). Instead of lending your favourite books out, buy your friends their own copy. At the back of the book I have recommended several great books - get on with reading, make learning your priority. Make positive change your mission.

Most people - and I assume by buying this book you are not one of them - say they want a better life but are not prepared to put in the work necessary to get the job done. Notice I didn’t say hard work. The tasks themselves are not hard, but the change can be very uncomfortable at times, making it ‘feel’ hard. Ed Foreman, the only senator to win two different Senates in United States’ history, said, ‘Winners are those people who constantly do the things that losers find uncomfortable.’

All change, at first, feels uncomfortable. Accept that and you are well on your way to success. My job is to teach you how to be comfortable just ‘being’ - during change, periods of status quo and even the odd backward step.

Do you remember driving a car for the first time? Going out on your first date with your first love? What about the first time you rode a bike without stabilizers? At first you stumbled, were completely awkward, scared and you probably screwed it all up. Can you imagine a child taking the same attitude to walking as we adults take to living? If a baby gave up at the first fall, or decided, ‘forget this, I could get hurt,’ we would all be shuffling along on our bottoms. Apart from the fact that it would be hell on your clothes and would cost a fortune in cleaning bills, what would life be like if we had given up on walking! We grow up to be lazy; we start out as champions.

Making change in your life ultimately means making IMPACT in other people’s lives. Some people are so beaten up they believe they aren’t capable of making even the smallest bit of IMPACT. Not true. Absolutely not true.

As Dame Anita Roddick once said, ‘If you think you are too small to make any impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.’

So, are you ready to start or do you want to continue bitching about how life is not giving you what you deserve? It’s entirely up to you. If you want more, accept responsibility for your own life and behaviour; stop whining and start working.

I challenge you to get more IMPACT in your life. I hope you can love yourself enough to do what is best for you.

Never compromise on what makes you happy. Life is very short. Let me help you make it sweeter.

Are you in a hurry? Sitting on a plane or train or waiting for the kids to come home from school? You’re probably just impatient to unlock the riddle of the IMPACT Code. So, let me help you. I have designed this book for a bit of speed reading followed by a lot of careful consideration and soul searching. If you want to get a quick feel of the IMPACT Code then you will see that each section is structured in the same way:

Every other page has a quote attached to it - not necessarily relevant to the section, but as you read the book over again you will start to find quotes that mean something to you. Copy them out, carry them with you in your head and, more importantly, in your heart.

I said the code was simple and I wasn’t joking. Each letter of the word IMPACT represents something important; a powerful but simple message. I have highlighted what the ‘big idea’ for each section is and then followed it with a summary of how that element of the code works and what it hopes to achieve. That said, you have to read the detail to make it work, but I am a firm believer that there really isn’t any time quite like the present. You don’t have to know the detail to start thinking about the concepts immediately. You will be amazed what comes to mind even after the first read. As long as you are honest with yourself (and that is not as easy to be as it sounds) then you will start to open your mind and your heart to a new way of thinking and being.

Read this book at least twice; your first read could be clouded by your own desire to prove any new theory wrong. Our inner demons will do all they can to keep us attached to what makes us comfortable. All I am saying is that your initial reaction might not be based on whether you think I am talking garbage, but in fact on your inner fear of change.

If you read it twice and you like it, keep it. Don’t give it to a friend. Buy them a copy (you really will be helping me with that one!) and use yours as a reference point. You will get things wrong and you will forget what it’s all about. You will. Get your marker pen out and start highlighting what you want to remember in the book - write all over it if you have to. Buy a lovely notepad or journal and map your progress. Clip articles that inspire you and put them in the journal. Write down everything that makes you proud or make a note when you do something you didn’t think you could. Make notes, draw doodles. In short, start to document your change. When you are feeling down nothing will lift you up faster than your ‘success journal’.

Dig in.