this deviation from my usual cynicism is a spin-off from Lode Runner's
popular diary, "Let the Boycotts Begin."
reading the discussion of whether it's better to focus on the positive or the negative, i was reminded of the public service announcements currently up around my city, telling you that for weight loss and healthier-eating purposes, it's better to focus on what you want to eat more of rather than what you need to eat less of. when i see those ads, my mind goes immediately to "fresh local produce" -- and that's also an area where i'm currently seeking to improve the political and ecological footprint of my consumer habits. but it was noted in the comments, some people find proscription (a specific list of what not to eat/do) easier to remember and stick by. anyway, some parallels between choosing how to eat and choosing how to buy:
-- if you're unhappy with your current lifestyle, first you have to commit, at a serious personal level (doing it as a couple/family helps too), to making a change.
-- then you have to delve into your reasoning, your specific but realistic goals and objectives. in the one case, maybe you're reducing calorie intake. in the other, perhaps reducing your spending on companies that contributed to bushco. or you could be more specific -- cutting out hydrogenated oils, or on the other hand cutting out all altria products.
-- then, perhaps the hardest part: you have to internalize the objective, and make sure your personal decisions are congruent with it. this takes time and patience and fortitude. part of this is doing your research...either formally, on buyblue and opensecrets or one of those sites with dizzing charts of nutritional information...or, if your time and resources allow, by consulting a professional nutritionist or financial planner (those who have stock portfolios may or may not realize how "red" their "blue chips" really are)...or simply by asking your friends and blog buddies for advice and support. part of this is acknowledging your areas of weakness and forgiving the mistakes and relapses you will have (for me, in both the dietary and political realms, these tend to involve oreos). part of this is finding appropriate alternatives (newman-o's!). part of this is knowing yourself and your needs, becoming clear on your priorities and what sacrifices you're willing to make (e.g. my household usually can afford the extra buck for newman-o's, but if i'm having a bad afternoon at work once in a rare while, vending machine oreos it is rather than spend a long time trekking to a market for something healthier and "bluer," and i'm not going to waste mental energy feeling guilty about that choice). part of this is accepting what you can't change (i can take certain steps to ease the blows, but genetics have ensured me kinda high cholesterol and kinda substantial hips. i can bank with a credit union and invest my meager savings in the bluest/greenest companies i can find, but for 10 more years i'll be making loan payments to #$(^$@ citibank, 'cuz that's what my u. forced me to do.) part of this is monitoring your progress and taking pride in your accomplishments, even if they happen very gradually at first. and part of this is maintaining your program steadfastly but realistically when times change (e.g. vacation, out-of-town move, sudden rise or fall in economic standing that inspires a change in habits but shouldn't alter your basic objectives).
and perhaps most importantly, neither kind of personal improvement campaign will be particularly successful without an accompanying increase in activity! get some exercise! take some direct political action to heighten the impact of your economic choices! combine both goals by block-walking for your local progressive candidate, or by biking to work ( no gasoline purchase required), or by jogging through a downtown park in your favorite political slogan t-shirt! or whatever works for you. the docs these days i believe recommend a total of 2-3 hours per week of vigorous exercise, minimum...can't we all aim to spend that much time vigorously participating in our democracy, too?