3 things that may sidetrack you from your conscious living resolutions, and how to avoid them
It’s a new decade, and sustainability and conscious living seem to be on everyone’s radar. Perhaps you jumped on board with composting, ethical fashion, or low waste living years ago, or maybe this is the year you’re adding mindful and sustainable resolutions to your list. Either way, bravo! Every small step adds up.
Here’s the thing: you’ll probably mess up. Unfortunately, we live in a world where consumerism is omnipresent, and it’s easier to order toilet paper to your doorstep shipped from across the country than to drive (or walk or train) a few minutes to grab a roll. I want to emphasize that slipping up is normal and to be expected, and it’s totally okay! The most important thing in this journey is to try your best, and continue to learn.
In my years working in, practicing, and teaching sustainability and conscious living, I’ve seen my fair share of people succeeding and others throwing in the towel. Here are three obstacles I see people stumble upon in the journey, and how you can address them to get back towards your goals.
Challenge: You’re unprepared
Solution: Make a list and check it twice
In my experience, the number one reason individuals fall short on their sustainability goals, especially when it comes to living a low waste lifestyle, is that they are unprepared. If you want to cut back on single-use disposables, it’s easy to “fail” if you go to get coffee and don’t have your reusable coffee mug on you.
The solution: sit down and make a plan, and then stick to it. For reducing disposable usage, create a “zero waste toolkit” that you carry with you. Mine includes a reusable coffee cup (I love social enterprise Miir’s cups!), a cutlery set (buy a bamboo set or grab a fork, knife, and spoon from your collection at home), a metal straw (if you like to use straws), a tote bag and a Stasher bag for any loose items I want to buy or scraps I want to take home to compost (like banana peels or apple cores). Whatever your goal is, get prepared: make a list of the coffee shops in your neighborhood or near your office that use fair trade coffee if you're aiming to only consume fair trade coffee, or map out the local vegan spots if you’re moving to a plant-based diet. Take a little time to do the work in advance to make it easy in the moment! If and when you slip up, celebrate the failure as an opportunity to see where you can course-correct and prepare better for the next time.
Challenge: Conscious living feels overwhelming and you feel like you’re never doing enough
Solution: Take one step at a time and be specific with your goals
As previously mentioned, conscious living is multifaceted. I often feel like no matter what I do, there are still hundreds (if not thousands!) of additional things I could be doing to be a more ethical, responsible, sustainable, conscious human. But here’s the thing: we desperately need to make progress. Any progress, any step, is forward motion. Each time we avoid fast fashion, we avoid taking advantage of unfair labor and toxic supply chains. Each time we walk to the coffee shop or carpool instead of driving alone, we cut back on carbon emissions.
It’s impossible to do it all, but it’s easy to do one thing at a time, so make sure your goal is specific (“be more sustainable” is a hard goal to measure). When you are feeling overwhelmed, pick one goal to focus on for that day or week. Be the best you can be at bringing your own cutlery to work to eat your lunch with. Tackle using your own containers at the bulk section of the grocery store. Become an expert in one area, nail it and then once you feel like it’s a habit and it’s easy, move on to another goal. Take a deep breath, find a goal you’re interested in working on and get going.
Challenge: It’s overwhelming to know where to start or find reliable information
Solution: Find a community and resources you love to turn to
I get it, conscious consumerism, ethical fashion, sustainable living — these topics are big, confusing and nuanced. Every day I see new topics, new research and new perspectives I’ve never heard of or thought about. To combat the chaos, I recommend finding a community of others that care about what you care about. Whether it’s a local meetup, a Facebook group or friends and family who are on the same journey, having a network to ask questions to, share your wins and vent about the challenges can be a game-changer in this journey. Living this way is often like swimming upstream, and it can feel lonely without the proper support system.
Secondly, find sources of information and inspiration you both trust and enjoy consuming. I recommend looking for news sources, blogs, podcasts and individuals on Instagram who share brands, tips, news and resources for living the lifestyle you are seeking — whether it’s someone focused on veganism, conscious fashion, plastic-free living, organic gardening, herbalism or whatever tickles your fancy — and does so in a way that resonates. I love following Olivia of Simply Liv and Co. for her ethical fashion resources, Shannon of Mama Eco and Kamea Chayne of Green Dreamer podcast for sustainable living resources, and so many more! By finding individuals who I can trust, I can turn to them when I am looking for support on a specific topic and not have to do all the research myself.
So get going, one goal at a time. Find a network to support you, information you trust, and be prepared. Keep track of where you succeed and where you fall short. Most importantly, give yourself a pat on the back for taking the steps towards conscious living. I have a feeling that not only will you be making an impact on the planet and others, but also positively changing your life, and creating a ripple effect on your friends and family.
In December, Carmen shared some of her sustainability goals for 2020. Now that we’re a few weeks into the new year, it’s important to reassess those goals and the progress we’re making in our individual lives to build the world we’re proud of. Sara’s advice is foolproof. To achieve any goal, remember to be specific, lay out actionable steps and find a support system that keeps you accountable. We’re here to help! Follow us Instagram and sign up for our newsletter on toastinggood.com.
Whether you need a notebook to get organized or a reusable bottle to bring to the coffee shop, here are some goodies from our partner social enterprises that can help you keep those resolutions all year long:
