Technically, on Earth Overshoot Day, we would all have to stop eating, dressing, consuming water, energy, and hold our breath until January 1st. Because on Earth Overshoot Day, collectively we used up the resources and services that Planet Earth can regenerate in one calendar year. If we wanted to continue living the way we conveniently do, we would need 1.5 planets to be able to make it until the end of December. In other words, we need to stop polluting and exploiting the planet at the rate we do before every ecosystem collapses.
In September 2023, a team of scientists quantified, for the first time, all nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system. These nine planetary boundaries were first proposed by Johan Rockström and a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists in 2009. Since then, their framework has been revised several times. Now the latest update not only quantified all boundaries, it also concludes that six of the nine boundaries have been transgressed.
We don’t even know if we are already beyond the point of no return on some of our vital resources, but we all need to question our habits and beloved luxuries if we want to lead a more regenerative life. Driving everywhere by car, shopping every new fashion trend, traveling short distances by plane, consuming nonrenewable energy, having meat every day and throwing away leftover food are only some of the behaviors that might be hard to change but that would make a difference. Let’s take a closer look at how this could look like: How do we let go of the unsustainable lifestyle we are currently attached to?
WHY – Set a worthy end goal
This should be a BIG FAT objective that has meaning and purpose for you, e.g. to save your marriage, to ensure a safe future for your children, or to avoid serious health problems for yourself or your loved ones. Things that are beyond doubt important to you and for whose realization you would be willing to endure hardship. In a moment of doubt, when you catch yourself tempted by convenience, speed or simplicity, and you risk to fall back into unsustainable behaviors, remember your end goal and ask yourself in this very moment what is more important: your end goal or the shortcut behavior? Typically, when you do this consistently and earnestly, it won’t even take a split second to choose your end goal. This is all you need to go the long way, to accept slower progress or to endure perceived hardship – which in most cases turns out to be no more than a minor inconvenience and will soon be forgotten anyway.
Practical example: The next time you can choose between traveling by car or bike to the nearest supermarket, or to take a plane or train to go on holidays, you may be tempted to pick the easiest, fastest or cheapest option. Pause and consider your end goal, for example to ensure a safe future for your children on a healthy planet. If it is physically, financially and geographically possible for you, go for the option that is more environmentally friendly instead.
HOW – Replace habits with new desired behaviors
Sometimes it’s hard to break habits because we simply don’t know what to do instead in that very moment. If every time smokers finger for a cigarette, their hands would have something else to do, they would be able to resist a smoke much more easily. So decide what behaviors you want to change and define what you want to do instead. Make it concrete and commit to it; envision how it looks and feels like, perhaps only in the long run but live it in your mind. In order to increase your commitment, talk to others about it and give them permission to hold you accountable, ask for help if you struggle, reward yourself when you’re doing well and most importantly: be compassionate with yourself when you fail. Don’t expect too much at once, thin-slice your intended changes into achievable steps.
Practical example: Say you tend to easily fall victim to fast fashion and you would like to buy fewer new clothes. It doesn’t take much to talk to the loved ones in your life about your intent. Discuss together what you could do instead, for example explore second hand options. Be concrete about when, where and how you could discover sustainable fashion. The next time you go shopping, it’ll be much easier for you to leave the trendy shirt on the rack and to check out what’s new in a clothes-swapping circle instead.
WHAT – Take a balanced perspective
For many of us, letting go of a familiar habit is challenging because of the unknown we encounter instead. Be honest about your fears or concerns, so they lose their power of your choices. Acknowledging your emotions, no matter how irrational, ridiculous, or embarrassing they might be, is important. Yet, accepting them is not the same as giving them power over you. Our blog “Courage, Power and David Bowie” takes a deeper dive into this very topic. When you find yourself struggling with letting go of something you’re currently attached to, it is worth asking yourself two questions:
- What is the worst that could happen?
- What is the best that could happen?
This practice to gain a more balanced perspective is explained in more detail in our blog “12 Practical Ways to Develop Courage“.
Practical example: The next time you are out grocery shopping, pause and consider what organic/vegetarian options, regional produce or seasonal foods you could purchase, instead of your standard go-to items. You may feel slightly nervous – what if I won’t like this? Now is the time to ask yourself: What is the worst that could happen? You won’t enjoy this one meal. And what is the best that could happen? You might discover a totally new culinary world, while supporting your end goal to maintain good health as you get older. Considering this balanced perspective, it might be much easier to let go of familiar habits and reap the rewards of a more sustainable lifestyle.
Authored by Martina Mangelsdorf, Chief Strategic Dreamer at GAIA Insights.