Sources to Build Our Experience In Personal Changemaking
People working in sustainability, social justice, or the nonprofit sector often think of their work as very different. The common thread among these fields is the pursuit of change. Nudging behavior change is a shared skill regardless of the priority issue: anti-racism, circular economy, women’s rights, and so on. Turning change inward, changemakers are susceptible to the same hurdles as all humans. Anyone who considers themselves a changemaker should be actively, personally changing. This ensures their thinking never wanders too far away from understanding what we ask of others.
You Need Experience Before You Can Do The Job
I’ve never seen personal change listed as a requirement on a job description. I can’t imagine managers asking for quarterly updates on a personal goal. I still think changemakers should add it to every to do list. The discipline of making personal changes is an internal touchstone for what makes it easy and what makes it impossible. Translating that inner experience to our approach to work will make us better, more effective changemakers.
Personal Anecdote on the Difficulties of Making Changes
Lately, I’m working through my own hang-ups and hurdles to try and test AI tools. I’ve gotten better, but for context, I was thoroughly roasted in my younger years for carrying a discman long after everyone else had ipods. Every time I succeed in trying a use for an app’s AI features, I feel something shift in my brain. It’s those moments that I think we need to stay constantly close to. I heard the hilarious Paula Pell (she wrote Inside Out!) say once “beginning is half the task.” For me, that applies to change even moreso than productivity – the unfamiliar takes an extra hit of motivation juice. While my latest AI adoption trials are a success, I could have written several sad paragraphs about making the same new years resolutions for a decade. Voy a hablar bien español un día! Pero hoy, no.
What sources are out there to inspire and guide personal changemaking?
Source 1 : Habit Gurus
There are so many sources out there to guide changing our habits. Today’s hot title is Atomic Habits by James Clear. The vast majority of related books are written by white men (going off of their pictures online): Power of Habits, High Performance Habits, Hyperfocus, Tiny Habits, the OG 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and (found one by a woman!) Better Than Before. Personally, I watched James Clear on MasterClass and found his principles really easy to remember – which is probably why his book is so popular.
Application for changemaking: break a big idea into small actions, build our discipline “muscles”.
Example of action that could benefit most: the circularity movement (using less disposable products).
The habit-focused experts often discuss how they can help fuel productivity and personal achievement, but the principles could also work for small daily habits that reduce consumption and build community around environmentally friendly behaviors.
Source 2 : Interrupting Addiction
It varies by age, but about 20% of American have struggled with substance abuse. I found Al-Anon late in life as part of a healing journey after having grown up in family affected by the disease of alcoholism. The principles and methods of Al-Anon mirror those of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and other 12-step programs.
Application for changemaking: shift in thinking, giving something up, fellowship to sustain the journey.
Example of action that could benefit most: Anti-racism for white people.
Re-orienting our thinking from white culture to equality for cultures means that white people will have to give up some power and privilege. (White supremacy is the alcohol in this analogy). Sustaining an effort where you have to give something up takes time, resilience, and community and 12 step programs don’t work for everyone, but have worked for many.
Source 3: Working Out
Fun fact: for a vast majority of my life I had never joined a gym. Then, my daughter started YMCA gymnastics simultaneously with my mid-life need for a boost to mood and energy. The gym was all but staring at me during each drop-off. I gave in. There are so many companies and people out there who help people increase their physical activity. Taking classes. Joining gyms. Hiring personal trainers. Gadgets and apps to track your data. There’s something for every personality.
Application for changemaking: use tools and joining things to ease into new behaviors.
Example of action that could benefit most: Civic engagement/citizen involvement in politics.
The change is individual, but the daily actions are frequently done together. Communities could be placed on a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy, and citizen activity is part of the rubric. Committee leaders are the personal trainers and community meetings are the classes.
In Conclusion
My recommendation to changemakers, including myself, is to continually be working on personal changes. These experiences deliver critical professional skills to be effective in how we drive movements, initiatives, or programs. James Clear helped me have better mornings. Al-Anon readjusted my thinking. Working out helped me change course on something I said I’d never do. Tapping into the memories of the before and after is critical intel for working in the business of change.
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