The world is full of trouble. Racism, sexism, war, greed. You want to make things better, but it just feels overwhelming. What can you do?
First remember you don’t need to fix it by yourself.
If you do a small thing, and everyone on earth does a small thing, the world will get better.
In fact, it looks like it already is.
So here is what you do
1. Pick some cause that makes you really really upset. It bugs you all the time. You can’t sleep because you know it has got to change.
2. Ask yourself, what is a small thing I can do, considering my skills and social reach? Can I write a petition? Can I donate 10 bucks? Can I start a blog? Can I help someone else’s effort?
3. Put a note in your calendar once a week to do something toward that goal. Make it specific: donate 5 bucks. Write a senator.
4. Don’t freak out about other things when you hear about them. Trust someone else is working on it. Use that fury to go back and work on your project more.
I picked sexism. Every friday a note in my calendar reminds me to add a woman to Women Talk Design. I only add one a week, but now I have 68 women and I hear that conference organizers are now using it to find more women to increase their gender diversity. Change begins.
When we try to boil the ocean, we get angry when the water never gets warm. Pick a glass of water to start with, and use whatever pot or kettle you have at hand. Together, we can make a big steaming cup of change.