Guiding PrinciplesPrinciple #1—Don’t try to do everything
There are hundreds of big and little things we can do to help build a sustainable world. As a society, we’ll need to do them all, but individuals and communities can only do a few things at a time and make progress. When we wake up to the enormity of the crisis and how little we’ve done so far to fix it, we can get frantic and overcompensate. If we try to do too much too quickly, though, we get overwhelmed, discouraged, and stop. Focus on the low hanging fruit. Choose some easy things first and celebrate your successes.
Principle #2—Let each person shine
Let each person do what they like most and there will always be plenty of energy to get things done. We don’t need to suffer to make the world better—we need to mobilize our gifts. Let people pick tasks that let them shine. You’ll need people who like to: research on-line, build things with their hands, organize events, build tracking systems, write brochures, meet and greet newcomers, make food, spread the word through the community, etc.
Principle #3—Form a group identity
Social scientists tell us that “identity” is one of the keys to lasting behavioral change. Who you think you are has a huge impact on how you behave. And the groups you belong to have a huge impact on who you think you are. Groups define which behaviors are cool and hip and which are passé. If you are part of a group that cares about the well-being of your community for future generations, it will change where you shop, what you buy, how much you consume, where you spend your free time, etc. Let’s harness the power of group norms to create a sustainability world.
So give your group a name! Talk about your values! Work together on projects. You might even get some buttons, bumper stickers or T-shirts that proclaim the group’s values. All of these are important elements in forging a new culture.
Principle #4—“If it’s not fun; it's not sustainable.”
If you’re not having fun, re-think what you are doing to make it fun. Some ideas: add more members, work in pairs or triads, make sure everyone has a way to shine, slow down and make it a spiritual practice, mix up assignments, set up friendly competitions with fun prizes, plan recreational activities and outings as a group, or find ways to get to know each other in a deeper way.
If this looks like just one more list of to do's—then STOP! How you go about being sustainable is MORE important than you might imagine. We can't create a sustainable world from overextended lives.
Don't proceed until you read
"Guiding Principles for Lasting Change"
and
"Why Be Sustainable?"
The 12 steps are organized so that the things that take the least amount of time and money come first. Most items on the list will actually save you money. Many will also save you time.
In all the steps, we ask you to spend more time connecting with neighbors. Connecting with your neighbors is the only way to avoid getting overwhelmed.
A sustainable world is only possible within a deeply connected community — It's that fundamental.
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