This is a very personal article by our Co-Founder Fanny, in the past months, she has learned a lot about the impact she wants to leave in the world. Becoming more conscious and sustainable is a long road
The past months have been quite exciting, I’ve learned a lot and talked to a lot of people about sustainability, and I’ve hosted and moderated a few online events about this topic.
And always when I feel like I know something, I realize that there are so many things that I don’t know yet. I am definitely no expert. (There is a lot happening in this direction in the world right now and many new innovations are coming, in any kind of area).
I read a lot, I inform myself a lot. Question many things I do and have considered as normal, I question how I consume.
That’s why we believed when starting with Stor-ey that a guide to a sustainable and conscious consumption would be the right way to start off.
I am also far from being perfect, and sometimes I find myself still attracted by some fast fashion clothes and most of my favourite snacks unfortunately also come in plastic.
But I’m on a journey in the right direction.
And with Stor-ey I know I am not alone and we are happy that we have created some exchange. And I would like to share from my experience (about my own journey but also by speaking to other people) three crucial learnings on the way to becoming sustainable.
1. Recognize the problem and get informed
When you start dealing with sustainability, you often come across a certain problem: that you actually don’t know enough.
Sometimes you might feel that there are actually things you should know, but you don’t dare to ask. And then there is also a lot of wrong information.
How often have you seen some catchy sounding information on some random social media channel, and then shared that info during a casual lunch? Without actually proving it. Or somebody has said something (that sounded smart) and you share his/her thought like your own just because you are not so much into the topic yourself, and it feels better to share something that you have picked up by someone than saying nothing.
But often we forget that it’s absolutely ok not to know everything, not to be sure about some information or not to know enough about a topic. (And even if we already have an opinion about something, we should still question it from time to time).
If you’re interested in something, do some research (at trusted resources online), ask your friends who know more about it. Or maybe you find an online course on a topic? Online courses approach a topic in a very systematic way and present most of the topics on a large scale.
2. Understand the importance to exchange with others
Whenever you start something new in your life, it helps to exchange ideas with people who have had a similar experience. For sustainability, it is great to talk to people who are already one step ahead in their journey or people who are fully dedicated on one specific topic, like going zero waste.
Of course some things are easier for some people than others, but getting the right tips on how to change your behaviour can really help. Also to see that others have already taken this step, might make it seem less hard.
We believe exchange is incredibly important, that’s why we want to share your stories, because they can inspire, and because they can encourage.
3. Be proud of your small accomplishments
The process of sustainability is about challenging yourself, your behaviors that come easy, exchanging them with behaviors that might not feel so easy in the beginning.
We believe that the most important thing is to believe in yourself and not to give up.
Just imagine a diet.
Do you think you will have more success if you are super strict with yourself, and don’t allow yourself to eat chocolate, and if you do, to be angry with yourself? Or if it is ok that you eat a piece of chocolate and are proud of yourself for not eating sugar the 4 days before? The first option will probably end with you quitting your diet after eating a whole bar of chocolate. The second option, makes the whole thing more consistent, up to a point where you will probably (automatically) eat less and less chocolate and find a happy balanced way for you.
Try to acknowledge, notice and celebrate the small progress you make!
Think back to how you consumed a year ago?
Becoming more sustainable and rethinking your consumption is a process, and fortunately, we are not alone in this process. That’s why we founded Stor-ey to create a space of inspiration and exchange.
