How To Create Realistic Sustainability Goals And Stick To Them
Global biodiversity is plummeting, inequality is on the rise, waste is piling up, plastic is becoming a bigger issue than ever before, and this past year alone, we have experienced catastrophic fires, snowstorms, wild weather patterns, and extreme natural disasters all across the globe.
It’s scary stuff.
So, it should not surprise you that a change is needed to be made, and it needs to be made now.
While the media might be heartbreaking to watch sometimes, the good news is that it is doing a great job at encouraging people to take action and implement change into their daily lives.
People are starting to reduce their plastic waste, cut back on their meat intake, donate to reputable wildlife organizations, learn about all things sustainable living, and prioritize their environments more (among many, many other things).
And this all starts with creating sustainability goals.
As we embark on a new year, it is time to set those goals into actually achievable action plans . . . and as sustainability experts, we want to help you make that happen.
Here is our guide to setting realistic sustainability goals and sticking to them!
Choose one to three sustainability goals to focus on
Did you know:
More than 1 million species are at risk of extinction by climate change
The last seven years have been the warmest on record, and our global temperature is meant to continue rising. A warming world increases the intensity of natural disasters.
8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our ocean daily.
Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption
Livestock operations on land have created more than 500 nitrogen flooded dead zones around the world in our oceans
1-2 acres of rainforest are cleared every second.
(Facts sourced from Cowspiracy and National Geographic)
These are just a few of the many horrifying facts we face as a planet.
Seems a little overwhelming, right?
Well, here’s the thing. When it comes to making sustainability goals, you don’t have to tackle all of these problems at once.
That would probably be impossible.
As sustainability experts, we don’t expect anyone to take on the majority of issues because there’s just too much to do to fix the growing list of problems.
We recommend focusing on one to three facets of these issues and giving your best effort to implement changes into your life that will positively impact the planet.
So, if you are most concerned about the plastic in the ocean, set one of your goals to be to reduce your plastic waste this year.
If you are concerned about water consumption and land loss due to agriculture, set one of your goals to reduce your meat intake and focus on plant-based diets instead.
Or, if you are most concerned about the rising global temperature, pay attention to your carbon footprint and learn how to reduce it.
We know that it can often feel overwhelming, so we run by the belief that any action is better than inaction.
Learn what areas you are most passionate about to focus on those rather than getting overwhelmed by the majority of issues.
Want to add more eco-friendly travel to your goals? Submit your trip request here.
Do your research, so you know what areas are of interest to you
When it comes to climate change and creating realistic sustainability goals and sticking to them, there is a lot of information that can often make you feel like you’re drowning in it.
Especially when it comes to learning something new.
Our recommendation? Start simple and focus on the areas that interest you!
Research is the only way to know what areas of sustainability you are most interested in focusing on, so take some time to figure out what exactly these areas are.
We think documentaries are a great resource to start with that will give you an overview of a topic. Plus, they are super informative and enjoyable to watch!
These are our top documentary pics:
We also recommend getting online and finding people with similar interests to yours. And yes, this includes Instagram and Facebook groups.
There are some amazing voices out there that speak on the topics you are likely interested in, and they can provide a lot of foundational information to get you started.
For instance, check out @Goingzerowaste on Instagram. Kathryn has incredible resources to reduce your plastic and waste output and would be a great place to start if this is one of your sustainability goals!
When you have an idea of what your goals might be, make them S.M.A.R.T goals
You’ve probably already heard of S.M.A.R.T goals when it comes to goal setting.
S.M.A.R.T goals are a great way to make goals that will be possible for you to achieve, and when it comes to sustainability goals, we want you to achieve them!
Be specific about your goals
What will be accomplished? What actions will you take?
When it comes to sustainability goals, make sure you know exactly what you want to do.
Are you going to reduce your household waste, or will you cut back on buying household products in plastic bottles and only use compostable products in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry?
Are you going to reduce your meat intake, or will you cut back entirely on red meat and only eat white meat on Tuesdays and Saturdays and learn how to eat a wholesome plant-based diet?
The more specific you get about your sustainability goals, the clearer what you need to do to achieve them, and the easier it will be to keep yourself accountable.
Make your goals measurable
How are you going to measure your success?
This is likely going to look different for everyone, and depending on your goals will depend on how to measure whether you are achieving your goals or not.
We recommend figuring out a system that will allow you to measure how well you are doing at implementing the changes you are trying to make.
For instance, if your goal is to pick up three pieces of rubbish every time you leave the house, perhaps keep a daily tally of how many items you pick up every time you are out. When you look at how much waste you have picked up at the end of each week/ month/ year, this might be the perfect motivator to keep you going.
Make your goals achievable
Are your goals doable? Do you have the necessary skills, resources, and time to achieve them?
When it comes to making goals, we humans are often fond of putting too much pressure on ourselves.
While this can be a good thing for some, it can be an incredibly unmotivating thing for others. It can often work in reverse and make achieving anything difficult because it can feel like too much.
Choose goals that you know you can and will be able to achieve.
For instance, if you are a busy worker, mother, and business owner with little spare time, participating in weekly neighborhood cleanups might be unachievable. Make goals that will seamlessly be able to fit into your lifestyle, and you shouldn’t have an issue achieving them.
Create goals that are relevant to you and your interests
How does the goal align with broader goals? With your life?
When it comes to making sustainability goals that you will actually be able to achieve, you must start with areas you are interested in and relevant to your life.
For example, there is no use attempting to do something that you are not going to be able to achieve simply because it is just not interesting to you. If you do this, you will likely find that you may fall off the wagon and revert to your old habits over time.
However, if you choose areas relevant to your interest and your life, it might be easier to continue learning and to continue working towards creating a lasting habit from that new goal.
An example of this might be your palm oil consumption. If you are passionate about limiting and stopping deforestation, you might find the issue with palm oil to be right up your alley. Some of the world’s best-known brands are driving the demand for cheap, forest-destroying commodities like palm oil, and it is being hidden in almost all of our products. This might be something you can dive into researching, learn to cut out, and inform other people about.
Set yourself a time frame for achieving your goal
What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?
Having a time frame for achieving your sustainability goal can help keep you accountable to achieve what you set your mind to.
Want to add more eco-friendly travel to your goals? Submit your trip request here.
Give yourself some grace
When you go down the path of creating sustainable changes in your life, it can be easy to feel guilty that you aren’t doing enough.
While this can often be a good thing – inspiring and motivating you to do more and do better – it can often be overwhelming and hard to remind yourself of all your good.
We all slip up from time to time. We all make mistakes. And whether that means that you eat meat on Mondays when you told yourself you would be plant-based on Mondays, or you buy a takeaway coffee in a single-use plastic cup when you told yourself you wouldn’t do that this year, as long as you are doing the best that you can most of the time, you have to learn to not be too hard on yourself for slipping up.
The journey to living sustainably is hard. It’s often also isolating, as not everyone in your life will be able to understand what you are doing. But, it is incredibly rewarding when you acknowledge the good you are doing for yourself and the planet.
Final thoughts on how to set realistic sustainability goals and stick to them
Attempting to fix everything at once can feel overwhelming. Trust us; we feel this daily.
While, over time, you will find that actively making choices to implement sustainable practices into your life becomes second nature to you, if you are new to the world of sustainability, it can be hard to start.
The important thing is starting. It’s learning about the areas that interest you and attempting to do your best to make those changes in your life.
Any action is better than inaction.
We hope you’ll join us in aiming for a better, cleaner, healthier planet.
So, what are your sustainability goals this year? Drop them in the comments, so we know what you are focusing on!
