I don’t know about you all, but it feels like there are way too many things competing for my attention right now. There’s back-to-school, and PTA is ramping up, and activities to lead and/or haul children to. And, as one helpful soul on Twitter points out every morning, Election Day is fast approaching.
With so much going on in our state, our country and in the world, it’s all to easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many needs, so many issues, so many choices. Should I canvass for my local precinct, or for a specific candidate? Maybe I should be working on registering voters. Is it better to focus a lot of energy on one issue, or a little bit on several issues? Some days, the sheer volume of choices renders me paralyzed — I can’t decide what to do, so I do nothing at all, which doesn’t help anyone.
In the past, faced with this paralysis, I have relied upon one simple trick to break it: I decide to do one thing. Just one thing, nothing else. The only rules are that I have to choose that one thing quickly, and it must be something I can do fairly immediately (I cannot promise myself I’m going to get started on September 31st and call it a day).
More often than not, doing one thing makes me feel like maybe I can do another thing. And sometimes, even a third thing. But even if it doesn’t — if I just do my one thing — then at least I’ve done something.
In case you, like me, are trying to decide what you should do, here is a list of suggestions:
- Choose one issue on the ballot this year and learn all about it;
- Tell someone what you’ve learned;
- Join up with your local political precinct leaders and see if they need help making sure people vote (spoiler alert: they do);
- Find a candidate you believe in, and join her (or his) campaign;
- Volunteer for a voter registration drive;
- Run a voter registration drive in your neighborhood or through your school;
- Contribute to the SoSNC Voter Guide (comment here if you’re interested!)
- Find a group that works on an issue you care about, and see if they have any election-season activities such as issue-based canvassing;
- Be a poll greeter;
- Vote;
- Bring a friend to vote;
- Bring lots of friends to vote.