My Experiment

"By changing nothing, nothing changes." -Tony Robbins

It is easy to become overwhelmed with the problems our society faces when it comes to the environment and sustainable living. We are constantly bombarded with stories and debates about global warming, poverty, animal cruelty, and the list goes on. We are tempted to just throw our hands in the air and say, "there is nothing that I can do to help". However, without the action of individuals, change will never occur. Starting Tuesday, April 3rd I will be taking part in an experiment to help me "live deliberately" for seven days. To me, this experiment is an attempt at a new lifestyle of change that can teach me how to live more responsibly and sustainably. For the experiment I will be changing six aspects of my life: transportation, food, consumerism, technology, positive impact/political action, and health & happiness. 

Transportation: 

In regards to transportation, I have decided that I will not take the bus to the train station on my way to my internship. Instead, I will walk the ten minute walk in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint. Normally, I take the bus at least twice a week so this will definitely be a good part of my life that I will have to change during my seven-day experiment. 

Food: 

The change that I have already started two weeks ago in regards to food is to  become a vegetarian. I started being a vegetarian when I went home for spring break about two weeks ago. I want to continue being a vegetarian for this experiment because I am thinking about making this a permanent part of my life. I have managed to survive two whole weeks without meat and I am confident I will be able to continue on without meat for the seven days of this experiment. I have decided to choose vegetarianism because the meat industry is one of the largest contributors to global warming. For the purposes of this experiment, I want to experiment with vegan food as well and gain a better understanding of the food that I am eating and what food we actually need in order to be healthy. 

Consumerism: 

For the consumerism aspect of the experiment, I have decided that I will not purchase anything other than food for the seven days of the experiment. The only food that I will be purchasing will be, of course, vegetarian food! I often find myself purchasing things that I really do not need and these purchasing habits just end up being a waste of my money. I always look at my bank account after a month and wonder where all my money went. 

Technology:

The technology aspect of the experiment will probably be the hardest to stick with. The change I have decided on is to only go on Facebook once a day. I am practically addicted to Facebook. I go on Facebook pretty much every time I turn my computer on and this time could be spent on more productive things, such as schoolwork. During the week of the experiment, I will make an effort to do other things whenever I would normally just sign onto Facebook. 

Positive Impact/Political Action:

For this category, I have decided to contribute more time and effort to Jumpstart, an organization that I have joined this semester. Jumpstart's goal is to provide the literacy skills needed for later education to low-income children who might not otherwise get the chance. By committing more of my time to Jumpstart for a week, I am contributing even more time to a great cause. I strongly believe in the work that Jumpstart is doing and donating more of my time is a great way to support that message. 

Health & Happiness:

I have decided that I will try and dedicate at least thirty minutes of my day to help me de-stress. This could be anything from painting my nails, going for a walk, or watching a TV show. I think it is very important to have at least thirty minutes to relax and pause from my busy schedule. I do very little activities as of right now that help me de-stress.

Wish me luck!!