Sustaining Progress Toward Sustainability

The usefulness of positive self-talk and a “journey mentality” in the face of the climate challenge.

Athletes and sports psychologists know the power of positive self-talk, the inner monologue a competitor can use to maintain optimism, enhance performance, and keep going, even in the face of fatigue, physical limits, or other challenges. The benefits of positive self-talk, of course, are not limited to athletics. Whenever we face a personal challenge, positive self-talk can a great tool to keep us focused on the progress we are making.

But what about challenge of sustainability? The problem is much bigger than any one individual. Making meaningful progress depends on the action of many. Knowing this naturally can lead to questions and doubt. And then perhaps despair, a sense of powerlessness, and giving up. Here, too, positive self-talk can help.

But how exactly? What can we tell ourselves about a challenge – a crisis – that is undeniably massive and which will require much more to resolve than any one person – even any one nation – can do alone?

Ultimately, positive self-talk is about maintaining a positive mentality, a perspective that individual action does matter and can make a difference. That idea is at the core of what Yaroki is all about. How can we do that with a challenge as big and daunting as the global environment? One way is to use positive self-talk to transform our own mentality form an object orientation to a process orientation.

The idea is simple. Rather than seek to focus on the ultimate end state, focus instead on the journey we are on to get there. This mode of thinking is incredibly empowering. Instead of feeling individually unimportant in the face of what can seem a problem too-big-to-solve, we can feel individually indispensable to contributing what we can to the collective, ongoing process of change that is the necessary driver of meaningful progress.

Adopting a “journey mentality” can liberate each us from feeling inadequate or “bad” simply because we individually cannot solve the whole problem ourselves or take every possible action. It can help us begin down a path of positive action that develops and grows over time. (Yaroki itself proves that it’s often getting started on a project that is the hardest step.)

The journey mentality enables each of us to choose a starting point, an individual action that is positive for the greater world. And it enables each of us to appreciate each step we take as a measure of progress. Collectively, those small steps add up to significant, positive impact.

Those small steps matter. Using positive self-talk to remind ourselves of that and see the path forward as a true journey can help each of us move beyond the barriers of doubt and despair. As such, positive self-talk and a journey mentality are potent tools.

© 2021. Sustaining Progress Toward Sustainability is an original post from Yaroki, and may not be copied on other sites.