From Mundane to Magnificent
As I walked past my daughter’s room t, last weekend, I caught a glimpse of something flying through the air. When I turned to have a closer look, it noticed a ball of paper, in flight, from one side of the room to the other. Definitely not what I expected to see - she’s a pretty mellow teenager and doesn’t normally throw things. But these wads weren't flying out of anger or frustration as I initially assumed, based on the papers scattered around her binder on the floor. Instead, she was playing an impromptu game of basketball, with herself, as a way to spice up the otherwise mundane and overwhelming task of organizing her binder.
Our daughter, playing an impromptu game of organizational basketball
What struck me enough to inspire this post was how much she seemed to be enjoying herself, with a slight grin on her face – followed by a huge smile when she’d make the shot. And the crowd goes wild…! It’s not that she doesn’t normally enjoy herself, or that I don’t often see her smile. But she can get pretty overwhelmed with these types of organizational tasks and easily feel the dread and daunt of what can seem formidable (the apple didn’t fall far on that one!..).
Enter climate change: clearly a daunting, overwhelming topic, with a variety of mundane actions required for effective response – calling Congress, writing letters, knocking on doors, to name just a few. While there are certainly more exciting and impactful actions out there, let's be honest - many of the most necessary tasks are repetitive and, frankly, not all that thrilling. And yet, research from psychologist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson shows that positive emotions like joy don't just make us feel better – they actually broaden our thinking and help us build lasting resources for tackling complex challenges like climate change.
But…what if we played our own version of impromptu basketball with climate change? What might that look like for you? For me, I might start with little things - listening to my favorite music while writing my letters. Or inviting people to my house, or to a local pub, to write those letters with me. Maybe I call Congress while I’m out on a walk (because the phone number is saved in my phone, of course!), or set myself a little challenge to see how many friends I can invite AND inspire to follow through on calling with me.
Are you the competitive type? Do you smile more when you’re by yourself or with others? Outside or in? Gardening or biking?
For some of us, the hurdles to happiness feel pretty tall when it comes to climate change and other formidable challenges. But with a little self-awareness and focused intention, we can adjust those hurdles and lean into the lighter side, making the process more enjoyable. When we approach climate action this way, jumping those hurdles can actually feel invigorating and leave us with the extra energy we need to clean out our proverbial binders.
This isn't just intuition – research published in the Academy of Management Journal found that experiencing positive emotions at work was associated with greater creativity, resilience, and problem-solving abilities - skills particularly valuable when facing complex challenges, just like climate change.
So, whadya think? You ready for some proverbial basketball?
