Help-A-Hour: A Simple Way to Create Impact in Just 60 Minutes
For the past year, I’ve been quietly preparing for this journey of blogging—writing down ideas, reflecting on experiences, and exploring different perspectives. Writing has always been my way of processing thoughts and connecting with deeper ideas. And now, sharing those thoughts with the world feels like a huge moment!
So here it is: my very first blog. Thank you for reading—it means a lot to me.
Now, you’re probably wondering: what’s this blog about? I’ll tell you in just a moment. But first, let me explain why I chose this specific topic for my first post. I wanted something meaningful—something that sets the tone for what My Growing Impact will stand for. But most importantly, I wanted it to be encouraging for you and offer a practical step that you can benefit from right away.
Are you ready?
This blog is about Help-A-Hour—a concept that crossed my mind in the early hours of November 17, 2024.
It’s simple, it’s impactful, and it has the potential to bring us all closer together. I’m beyond excited to share it with you, and I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me!
Ok, so tell me: what is Help-A-Hour?
Help-A-Hour stands for Help-Ask-Hour—a simple but powerful idea to dedicate ONE HOUR every week to really make a difference in your or somebodys elses life and connect with each other again.
During this hour, you commit to:
Helping someone: offering your time, skills, or support to someone who needs it.
Asking for help yourself: reaching out for assistance with something you’ve been struggling with.
Why both? Because life is about both giving and receiving. One day, you might be the one in need of help or guidance, and the next, you could be the one offering support. As humans we need each other. We’re a big community. Then why not build on that?
Why Help-A-Hour?
The idea for Help-A-Hour came from two key observations:
1. We’re drowning in unspoken difficulties
All of us face challenges. When I look around, I see that everyone is dealing with something. No one’s life is all sunshine and roses. There are major challenges like psychological stress, loneliness, financial struggles, or conflicts at work or in personal relationships. Then there are smaller hurdles, like trouble creating a weekly schedule, writing a job application, or understanding a letter from the tax authority. These issues, big or small, can grow into bigger problems if we don’t seek help or get the right support in time.
There is a chance that you yourself have have been wrestling with some challenge. For some reason, you haven’t reached out for help though. Why? Maybe because:
You don’t want to bother others—they’re busy too, right?
You’re embarrassed or afraid to show vulnerability.
It feels too private to share.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Everyone has problems, whether they admit it or not. We’re all vulnerable beings, right?
2. There’s a mismatch between those who need help and those who can offer it.
On the flip side, there are so many people capable of offering the support others desperately need. You probably have skills or insights that could help someone too. But even “helpers” face obstacles:
Lack of time to dedicate to helping others.
Feeling drained by people who demand too much (like solving everything for them instead of just guiding them).
Not knowing who needs help or what kind of help they require.
The result? A huge gap between those who need help and those who can provide it.
I know asking for help takes courage. It’s maybe even more difficult than actually helping somebody out. But you need both. Can’t clap with one hand right? So both are essential to bring people closer, and remind us that we’re not meant to do everything on our own.
When is Help-A-Hour?
Are you ready to make space for both helping and asking for help in your life? Then lets turn this idea into a meaningful habit! Let’s have a dedicated time each week to focus on it!
I suggest setting a fixed time each week.
Having a dedicated hour creates structure and ensures consistency.
Every Sunday from 8:00 to 9:00 PM is the most ideal time I believe. It’s the end of the weekend, you’re likely more relaxed, and it’s a great way to finish the week by connecting with others.
Imagine the difference it could make if we all did this every week. One simple hour of helping and connecting could bring people closer, lighten the load for others, and remind us of the strength of community.
Sounds good, right? Mark it in your calendar, and let’s start building a habit of supporting each other, one hour at a time where we:
Make time to offer help to someone in need.
Take the brave step of asking for help ourself!
For the agenda: HELP-A-HOUR, every Sunday from 8 pm to 9 pm
How Help-A-Hour can change the world
Imagine the impact of a growing community embracing this idea. With more people participating, it’ll be easier to connect helpers and those seeking help.
Help-A-Hour isn’t just an activity—it’s a way to weave generosity and support into our weekly routines.
If you participate in Help-A-Hour every week for a year, that’s 52 opportunities to help someone. Have you ever helped 52 different persons for different things in a single year before? If yes—BRAVO and SALUTE! If not—this is your chance!!
And just as important: every week, there’s someone ready to help you.
Spread the word. Let’s make Help-A-Hour a weekly ritual, not just for you and me, but for everyone. Imagine if the whole world joined in. Am I being too ambitious? Maybe. Do I care? Not at all.
Key Takeaways:
Concept: dedicate one fixed hour weekly to help someone or ask for help.
Impact: 52 acts of kindness or support in a year.
Vision: creating a global community where we humans help other humans, no matter what gender, religion, etnicity, views in life etc.
Call to Action
Join Help-A-Hour: Schedule your first session this Sunday from 8:00 to 9:00 PM. How? See the diagram below!
Spread the Word: Share this idea with friends, family, and colleagues and on the social media channels: #Help-A-Hour
Be the Change: Start small, and let’s see how big this can grow.
Always remember: If every person in the world helped just one person, the entire world would be helped. It’s really that simple.
The Help-A-Hour decision tree