You can’t end racism or fix the environment all on your own. But you can figure out what one thing you could do to bring yourself -- and the world -- a little bit closer to that goal.
You might want to try:
- Researching local organizations that need volunteers
- Buying 6 compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Putting three canvas bags in car trunk for next shopping trip
- Talking to kids about global warming
- Knitting a blanket for homeless shelter
- Running for local office
These are just examples; they might not apply to your own personal values are. The point is, just as with any other project, if you want results you have to be prepared to act -- and act on small, concrete actions. Take the first step, and then keep taking more. The point of the first step is to
- Disrupt the current inertia of your life, and
- Set you on a new path that, with time, will be harder to stop than to stay on
Once you buy that energy-saving light bulb or find out about a group worth joining, it’s time to cross that off your list and think of what the next action is. And then the next one, and the next one again after that.