Making change in the world is really hard. We understand that.
But there are principles that help. Sometimes, at least.
This is the beginning of a series of posts from DD about the principles of changemaking. We don’t know how many there will be, as we’re still learning too. But we do know that after 18 years of launching societal initiatives and training the next generation of leaders, we’ve gathered a few ideas that might help others too.
The first chapter is the most important one: 1. Feel the responsibility.
If you really want to make something happen, you have to feel it. You gotta let it weigh on you. Disturb your sleep, engage your mind during the day. And at first, let it paralyze you. Let the weight of responsibility depress you and take your strength away. This is step one.
Because real problems are hard. They won’t get fixed by noon. They might not get fixed during your lifetime. They might even get worse after 20 years of hard work from you. This is the nature of changemaking. This is why first, you’ve got to accept that anything worth living your life for, is hard.
After that, it all becomes much clearer. Not easier perhaps, but you won’t be setting yourself up for failure. You’ll be setting yourself up for a lifetime of changemaking.
The next chapters will be more cheerful. We promise! For we are going to look at what comes after getting the right mindset.
Check out the rest of the series here.
