New month. New day. New leaf. So you’ve woken up and decided you’re finally going to take on the big, big problem that’s been weighing on you — perhaps it’s shoring up your public libraries, helping homeless dogs and cats, or fighting climate change.

If you want to take on big problems. Try thinking like a bee

The lifespan of a worker bee ranges from six weeks in the summer to twenty weeks in the winter. Most of which is spent gathering nectar to make honey.

Bee Work Lives

A bee in her lifetime makes only 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey” — a tiny fraction of the hundred pounds of honey that a typical colony needs to survive. The most remarkable thing is that they don't even do it for themselves. A bee won’t directly benefit from the honey she makes; instead, it will allow future generations to thrive after she is gone.

The small things are enough

This too is how we can change the world — by not worrying about the size of our contributions and by letting our efforts join the actions of others.

How to change the world

Keep making honey. Your 1/12th of a teaspoon counts.

It counts

<img width="720" height="432" src="https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?w=750" alt="" srcset="https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg 2000w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=150, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/90 150w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=300, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/180 300w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=768, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/461 768w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=1024, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/614 1024w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=1536, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/922 1536w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=167, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/100 167w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=1000, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/600 1000w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=750, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/450 750w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=190, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/114 190w, https://ideas.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/1_think-like-a-bee_L.jpg?resize=345, https://ideas.ted.com/if-you-want-to-tackle-big-problems-try-thinking-like-a-bee/207 345w"><div class="caption" dir="ltr"> Raúl Soria</div>This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community;&nbsp;browse through&nbsp;<a href="https://ideas.ted.com/tag/how-to-be-a-better-human/" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">all the posts here</a>.New month. New day. New leaf. So you’ve woken up and decided you’re finally going to take on the big, big problem that’s been weighing on you — perhaps it’s shoring up your public libraries, helping homeless dogs and cats, or fighting climate change.Yet as much as you’d like to act, you’re stopped by some persistent, piping doubts: “Where do I start? And even if I do something, will it really matter?”When it comes to climate change, for instance, the greatest minds in the world are struggling to come up with solutions. Meanwhile, you’re someone who struggles to bring your reusable bags to the store.But maybe it’s time to look elsewhere for inspiration — like the humble honey bee.They can show us that thinking small may be the best way to think big, according to beekeeper <a href="https://www.geesbees.ca/" dir="ltr">Marianne Gee</a>, who lives in Ottawa, Canada.The lifespan of a worker bee ranges from six weeks (in the summer) to twenty weeks (in the winter). Most of her brief existence is spent gathering nectar to make honey.According to Gee, “a bee in her lifetime makes only 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey” — a tiny fraction of the hundred pounds of honey that a typical colony needs to survive. “The most remarkable thing isn’t that she does the work; it’s that she doesn’t even do it for herself,” she adds. A bee won’t directly benefit from the honey she makes; instead, it will allow future generations to thrive after she is gone.This too is how we can change the world — by not worrying about the size of our contributions and by letting our efforts join the actions of others.Gee herself was distressed by the <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/controversial-pesticides-can-decimate-honey-bees-large-study-finds" dir="ltr">pesticides</a> and <a href="https://entomologytoday.org/2017/04/10/why-human-behavior-is-hurting-honey-bees/" dir="ltr">diseases</a> that were harming the world’s honey bees and ruminated about what she and her husband could possibly do to fix the ailing agricultural system.One day as she was tending her hives, she realized, “I am insignificant, but my 1/12 of a teaspoon counts.” She found purpose in starting an urban farm, helping people plant garden plots on their rooftops and schoolyards, and teaching novice beekeepers.Keep making honey. Your 1/12th of a teaspoon counts.Watch Marianne Gee’s talk from <a href="https://www.tedxkanata.com/" dir="ltr">TEDxKanata</a> here: <div class="embed-placeholder" data-type="youtube" data-id="wyJp41VK6_k"></div><h3>About the author</h3><a href="https://ideas.ted.com/author/mary-halton/" dir="ltr">Mary Halton</a> is Assistant Ideas Editor at TED, and a science journalist based in the Pacific Northwest.

Honey bees can show us the power to be found in thinking small, says beekeeper Marianne Gee.

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

problemsolving

Problem Solving

This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community;  browse through <a href="https://ideas.ted.com/tag/how-to-be-a-better-human/">all the posts here </a>.

New month. New day. New leaf. So you’ve woken up and decided you’re finally going to take on the big, big problem that’s been weighing on you — perhaps it’s shoring up your public libraries, helping homeless dogs and cats, or fighting climate change.

Yet as much as you’d like to act, you’re stopped by some persistent, piping doubts: “Where do I start? And even if I do something, will it really matter?”

When it comes to climate change, for instance, the greatest minds in the world are struggling to come up with solutions. Meanwhile, you’re someone who struggles to bring your reusable bags to the store.

But maybe it’s time to look elsewhere for inspiration — like the humble honey bee.

They can show us that thinking small may be the best way to think big, according to beekeeper <a href="https://www.geesbees.ca/">Marianne Gee </a>, who lives in Ottawa, Canada.

The lifespan of a worker bee ranges from six weeks (in the summer) to twenty weeks (in the winter). Most of her brief existence is spent gathering nectar to make honey.

According to Gee, “a bee in her lifetime makes only 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey” — a tiny fraction of the hundred pounds of honey that a typical colony needs to survive. “The most remarkable thing isn’t that she does the work; it’s that she doesn’t even do it for herself,” she adds. A bee won’t directly benefit from the honey she makes; instead, it will allow future generations to thrive after she is gone.

This too is how we can change the world — by not worrying about the size of our contributions and by letting our efforts join the actions of others.

Gee herself was distressed by the <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/controversial-pesticides-can-decimate-honey-bees-large-study-finds">pesticides </a>and <a href="https://entomologytoday.org/2017/04/10/why-human-behavior-is-hurting-honey-bees/">diseases </a>that were harming the world’s honey bees and ruminated about what she and her husband could possibly do to fix the ailing agricultural system.

One day as she was tending her hives, she realized, “I am insignificant, but my 1/12 of a teaspoon counts.” She found purpose in starting an urban farm, helping people plant garden plots on their rooftops and schoolyards, and teaching novice beekeepers.

Keep making honey. Your 1/12th of a teaspoon counts.

Watch Marianne Gee’s talk from <a href="https://www.tedxkanata.com/">TEDxKanata </a>here:

<a href="https://ideas.ted.com/author/mary-halton/">Mary Halton </a> is Assistant Ideas Editor at TED, and a science journalist based in the Pacific Northwest.

If you want to take on big problems, try thinking like a bee