An important part of activism is finding ways to keep your passion ignited and avoiding burnout. We usually get into activism because we're angry, upset, or sad about something. Consider how you tend that soul fire. When is it time to take a break and let somebody else take over? You can maintain your fire by focusing on the longevity of the work, not the finish line. Your task is to take the baton from the people who came before and pass it along to the next people. You can do it by focusing on the progress instead of complete success.

Tend to the flames

Think about the causes and beliefs that most light you up and move you to action. Identify the things that make you angry, break your heart or make you think something has to change. That is where you find your spark.

Find your spark

Do away with your ideas of what activism or activists "should" look like or what causes you "should" care about. Understand the limitations of the space you have to give. For example, can you offer 20 hours of volunteer time a week? Does a recurring donation fit into your current budget?

Make a clearing

Once you've identified the space, evaluate what skills, gifts and interests you have to contribute. The "tinder" is the small bits of things you already love to do that you can use to grow a fire. Your love for baking cupcakes, your speed-reading skills, your eye for interior design can be used to hook into activism in a way that enriches you.

Gather your tinder

Activism can look big, like organising a march for racial justice or occupying a pump station to protest a pipeline. But the definition of activism is broader. Any time you do purposeful action with the hope of making the world better for other people, you're participating in activism. It could be speaking up for a teammate, donating your time to read with kids at a school, baking for a charity or using social media to inform.

Changing the world

Activism can look like big gestures of protest, but it can also look like baking cupcakes for a charity bake sale or reading at an after school program. These tips will help you find joy in activism while avoiding burnout.

Find your spark

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