The Greatest Challenge of Our Lifetime

The eyes of the world will be on my home city of Glasgow over the next few weeks, with COP26 -- the 26th Climate Change Conference of the United Nations -- starting on Sunday. Welcome to the 5th edition of The Daily Reset newsletter.

From the greatest question in history last week, to the greatest challenge in our lifetime -- how we react to the emerging climate crisis will shape all life on the planet in the coming decades.

The nudges this week are drawn from the theme of Community in the book, which draws on my previous life as an academic ;) when my focus was the space between innovation and sustainability, and we certainly need to be innovative in the coming years to avoid a catastrophe, or at best, a much diminished life on this planet.

My work as a practitioner and coach within the areas of health and behavior change fits within the changes we must all adopt. And here is the mindset shift I think is key:

Sustainability is about abundance, not scarcity.

When we adopt the principles of care for others and other things, and adhere to a way of living that helps the planet, that for me is an abundant way of living. In Sustaining Executive Performance I started to unravel the many ways in which behavioural changes that are good for us, are also good for the planet, and this development continues in The Daily Reset.

Addressing the climate challenge will only be acheived through action. In the first nudge below I raise the concept of awareness. We are surrounded by climate messages, just like Foster Wallace's goldfish and water, but fail to fully absorb reality. Lack of awareness leads to passivity and the second nudge makes a call to move to activity, now, and believe in the power we all have as individuals.

Almost 250 years after Glasgow had a huge impact on the first industrial revolution through the thinking of Adam Smith, James Watt and others, will the city help set the fourth industrial revolution on the path we all need for humans to flourish?

Thanks for reading this week and wishing everyone a happy weekend, Steven

What the Hell is Water? (Nudge #336/366)

David Foster Wallace was an accomplished writer and University professor. In his Commencement address to the 2005 class at Kenyon College, he opened with a story of two goldfish swimming along when one day they encounter another, older fish swimming in the opposite direction. The older fish says, ‘Morning boys, how’s the water?’ The two younger fish then look at each other and say, ‘What the hell is water?’

I use this story in many of my classes. On the simplest level, it highlights the power of awareness. There are countless stories of people dying who begin to see the world around them much more vividly. Don’t wait till then.

As we near the end of another year, it might be worthwhile to remember, and appreciate, the miracle of life, and all that surrounds us. Maybe even say to ourselves, as Foster Wallace remarks at the end of his address. ‘This is water, this is water’.

Shape the World (Nudge #357/366)

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of the enormous the challenge that is the world’s climate. And powerlessness can lead to inactivity.

Yet, I truly believe we can all play an active part in the new post-pandemic world rather than be passive passengers. There is a huge opportunity from the pandemic in terms of the mindset reset we have all experienced – so we can build a better world and a happier life.

On example of individual habits driving large-scale change during the pandemic was the increase in walking. This provided the necessary nudge for cities worldwide, including Milan and Paris, to accelerate the re-design of their urban centres to be more friendly for walkers and cyclists, and less welcoming of cars.

Two of the biggest climate impacts we cause, especially in the rich world, is how we eat and how we move. Just by considering the following you can start to make a difference (but don’t stop here).

What’s for dinner today? Plant-based diets can reduce emissions by up to 50% compared to the average emission intensive western diet. I’m not preaching for veganism necessarily but do you need to eat meat every day?

How many short trips will you make today? Walk instead of driving, or at least consider public transport. You’ll save money, contribute to cleaner air, get more fit, feel less frustrated, and think more clearly.

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