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š A preview to the preview
(taps mic)
At INI, we help people contextualize the most defining issues of our time, and then take action on them.
Weāre even more focused on helping you do that this year (more on that soon), but itās safe to say youāre probably here because youāve asked, āWhat can I do?ā
Thereās really no bad moment to make like Teddy, take a look around, and go:
And 2023 isnāt an exception.
My annual preview will hit your inbox tomorrow, but before we dive in, letās re-visit how to frame your thinking.
If thereās any one mantra that sums up my work here and the past few years, itās āAll you can do is all you can do.ā
Letās break that down into two parts:
āAll you can doā¦ā ā Understand and act on whatever is within your purview. The only way out is through. The obstacle is the way. With great power comes great responsibility. Leave it all on the field. You get the point.
āā¦is all you can do.ā ā Let go of the rest. You can do a million things to fight climate change, but you canāt actually control the weather, you know? It is what it is. You canāt be all things to all people. Whatever happens, happens. Come what may. Again, you get the idea.
If you want to be effective, and if you also want to not burn out, it's really really important you understand the difference between these two functions, but also ā I canāt do it for you.
As you consider my 2023 preview tomorrow, as you read or listen to the news, as you organize with neighbors, as you conduct your business, make new investments, or talk to your family about home electrification or wastewater or passkeys, you need to make a real effort to identify where you can be truly impactful, and where you canāt.
It usually goes like this:
Find and choose a headline about recent climate impacts, COVID, public health, food, air, water, clean energy, medicine, or something similar. A big-time, "existential", make or break issue.
Imagine a better future. No, even better, for more people.
Now get more specific. Whatās better about that issue in your future, in particular? And how?
Take a hard look at the headline again, read the article, and then build a picture of where we are today
Conceptualize the difference between that future and now. Detail it out however you need to.
Take a deep breath and understand getting from one to the other will be a fucking journey
Take a step back and understand that in many areas weāve actually come a long ass way
Understand that weāre only where we are today because millions of other people have imagined a better future, put in the work, and made thoseĀ journeys, oftenĀ because they absolutely fucking had to
Understand that action compounds over time and across people, it's science
Understand compounded action is how we fix that headline
Define your very special set of skills. Are you a doctor? Scientist? Farmer? Senator? Student? Banker? Marketer? VC? Movie producer? Data analyst? Engineer? Are you in advertising? Textiles? HVAC installations? Cleaning products? IT? Nursing?
Find people and organizations already doing the work, preferably ones directly affected by the issue, and ask how you can help.
Identify places where other Shit Givers in your life can contribute
Get to fucking work, and be grateful as hell you are alive today, when, together, we can put the maximum dent in the universe.
If you're ready to go deeper like right now, you can join the INI Membership here.
See you tomorrow.
ā Quinn
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