Want to Save the World, But Not Sure Where to Start?
Here’s how to find your activism sweet spot.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything wrong in the world today. To get unstuck, find the overlap between what the world needs, what you like, and what you do well.
“Pull yerself together and get on with it!” is Britain’s answer to psychotherapy. It’s a standing joke between me and my sister in Yorkshire whenever we get wobbly with fear, anxiety and overwhelm. Stuck in place with what to do to prevent say, Brexit. (I’m so proud of Diana — she tried very, very hard and, nope, Brexited.) And now I’m feeling frozen with what to do to about climate change, about how to make America civil, compassionate and COVID free again. From C to shining C. (Couldn’t resist. Forgive me.)
There is a better way to get unstuck and take action cheerfully and in good company: The Sweet-Spot Smorgasbord Activism Unsticker. Here’s a photo of the Venn diagram posted in my classroom:
The sweet spot is the magical intersection of your skills and talents, what you like to do and what the world needs. Let’s face it, what the world DOESN’T need is another do-gooder who doesn’t actually do any good.
Do something that you will enjoy and/or will offer you satisfaction, where you can use your privilege, connections and social capital to do something that will actually help break the school to prison pipeline, or that will make a difference to environmental degradation, or might stop the next election from being stolen. Just listing these urgent problems makes me in need of a good slap on the back, a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit.
Do’s and Don’t’s
- Don’t try to save the whole world right now all at once by yourself.
- Do small things that you are moved by as they pop up in your newsfeeds.
- Don’t go down the research rabbit hole and get too wrapped up with trying to find the exact right thing: “There is a syndrome in sport called ‘paralysis by analysis’.” — Arthur Ashe
- Do something anyway. If it’s too much, feels wrong or the evidence shifts, you can change course.
- Don’t worry about the perfect woke response or getting snide ‘fragile white lady’ comments. At least you are doing something. Unlike wokey-woke performative hipsters. Take that! bearded man with the cold brew :-)
- Do take some time to consider the options for your longer term activism while doing small things.
- Don’t get fooled with the excuse of ‘self care’. Taking action will be hard, life has been hard for most other people outside my white, middle class bubble. Not having to engage is part of that privilege.
- Do reframe self care to include feeling a sense of purpose that activism will give you. Altruism is deep in the genes of our prehistory and meaning is one of the major reasons for life satisfaction.
- Don’t feel bad about using your privilege — it means leaning on connections to achieve your activism aims. If you make a clear ask, are authentic and listen more than you talk, most people are happy to help in a manageable way.
- Do look through your friends and think about who has a similar level of worry about doing something about the state of the world — an activism partner.
- Don’t instantly join a big activism group. I’m going to say it: the exaggerated political correctness in some activism groups (as opposed to respect, inclusivity and kindness), can be intimidating and deaden ideas and individuality.
- Do consider first working as a pair: there’s less pressure and you can make adjustments easily as you start figuring out your activism path. Also more time for talking.
- Don’t stay frozen. Pull yerself together and get on with it! — here’s how:
The Sweet Spot Activism Action Plan
- Invite a friend who’s been worrying about the state of the world with you for a cup of tea (and some chocolate digestive biscuits for some serious deliciousness).
- Indulge in some worrying and whinging about the state of the world, to get the news out of your system.
- Re-direct the rising tide of worry by sharing the Sweet Spot diagram above.
- Dunk biscuit just long enough to melt the chocolate and consider your friend’s talents and skills. Ask they do the same for you.
- Share what you see as each other’s talents and skills. You might be surprised with what others see in you, and what you see in them when you pay them that sweet, close attention.
- And here’s the most fun part — find what the world needs and how to get started with well-researched smorgasbords of effective political activism at Indivisible. Activism to interrupt the school to prison pipeline is found at the ACLU. A fabulous source of scientifically sound ways to save the planet is at ‘Drawdown’.
- Finally, highlight/note/make post-its of what you would like to do. Seriously. Not what you should do. What you would enjoy. Because if you are fascinated and curious about an issue and action, you will keep doing it. You will bring your authentic self to the work, inspire others and run the risk of making a huge difference.
- Share your thoughts with your friend. If you find some issues and actions in common, well, even better.
- Make a short list of what you are each going to do before you hang out next time.
- Next time, share what you did, how it went and consider if you need to make changes.
- Repeat until you change the world. You already are, you’ve started.
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
Together we will stand and make a goddamn difference, dear readers. We will know that we did something, that we didn’t just fiddle while civilization burned. I’m excited to hear the results of your sweet spot smorgasbord actions in the comments below.
About the Author
Sue Boudreau, M.Ed. is a Teacher of the Year for one of the top performing districts in California. She runs the Take Action Science blog and uses the Sweet Spot diagram as students decide on their Take Action Projects.
