Making Smart Moves on a Planet in Crisis
A new version of my in-depth crash course on personal ruggedization begins October 17th.
Short version: On October 17th, I’m launching the sixth cohort of my acclaimed six-week Crash Course in Personal Ruggedization. We’re offering readers a special early discount of 25% off. There are limited spots and this rate (and they are first-come-first-served). Please enter code CCPR25OFF at checkout.
If you’re the sort of person who reads people like me, you will not be surprised when I say that climate change (and the larger planetary crisis which it drives) is going to change our lives.
To live a good life, you and I (and everyone else on the planet) are going to have to get real about the massive discontinuity unfolding around us. We’re going to have to ruggedize our lives.
Having now had hundreds of conversations with people about their plans to manage climate chaos in their lives, I’m struck by how almost all of us begin thinking about where to live in terms of havens — places where we won’t have to worry about the crisis at all. Those don’t exist.
When we figure out that there’s no place to go to completely escape climate and ecological upheaval, though, it’s tempting to jump to the other extreme — to assume that because every place faces risks, no place is safer than any other, and there’s nothing to do but wait for some weather disaster to ruin our lives. This is untrue.
In a time of planetary upheavals, the whole art of planning a good life is found in between these two beliefs. It is in accepting that risks are severe, and growing rapidly, while also seeing that some places are relatively safe compared to others (sometimes a lot safer) — and that some of those places will also be better positioned and prepared to manage the climate impacts they do face.
Finding these places isn’t simple. Finding the ones that will work best for our families, (with our particular circumstances, needs, time frames and tolerances for risk) is a process, and there’s no one right answer. Wherever we land, there will be work to do. There’s no perfect solution, but better odds matter a lot.
Personal ruggedization involves making smart decisions about where we choose to live, the systems we embed ourselves in, and the ways we work with others to improve our odds. It’s intelligent, optimistic, purpose-driven engagement with deep uncertainties, making ourselves at home on a planet none of us have ever seen before. Over the past years, I’ve helped hundreds of people gain the tools to improve their own odds.
If you’re ready to develop a personal climate strategy, my Crash Course in Personal Ruggedization shows you where to begin and how to plot your course forward.
“The best way to get smart about how to live through the cascading climate chaos of our time is to always read Alex Steffen.”
Jeff Goodell, Author of, “The Heat Will Kill You First”
Why take this course?
Smarter choices.
The past is no longer a reliable guide to future choices, and old thinking can lead us quickly into error. This course delivers new, clear frameworks for spotting emerging patterns in the chaos and making clear-headed decisions about where (and how) we live, how we pursue our careers, how we raise our kids and plan our retirements and serve our communities.
Powerful insights.
Our careers, investments, philanthropic choices and political engagements are increasingly entangled with discontinuous change. This course offers tools to both build a strong personal ruggedization strategy and to forge climate foresight into strategies for purpose-driven success in our working lives.
Deeper connections.
Climate isolation is real. One of the things I’ve heard most frequently in this work is how hard it can be to talk with family members, friends and colleagues who are just beginning to grapple with the rough realities ahead of us. This course can help frame genuine, heartfelt conversations that bring us together as we look ahead. In addition, taking action to reduce personal climate risks has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to reduce climate anxiety.
Read more about the crash course and what it offers in my latest newsletter.
“One of the most impactful learning experiences I’ve had on any topic in the last decade.”
Tiago Forte, FORTE LABS, participant
Class Details:
A Crash Course in Personal Ruggedization
Dates: Thursdays, October 17, 24, 31; Nov 7, 14 and 21
Time: 11:00am — 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Where: Zoom
Each session will include a deep-dive on that week’s topics, with time for discussion. Classes are recorded for those who cannot attend live, and recordings are sent out to participants on the Monday following each class.
There are still a few seats at the special early discount of 25% off. They are first-come-first-served. Please enter code CCPR25OFF at checkout.
