Everyone wants to make the world better. But how much time and energy do we actually have to contribute to the big issues?
We all have to believe that our actions build up to something. That our lives are consequential. That enough people doing things differently results in a better version of humanity.
For years, I've championed the idea that individual actions add up.
This week, I’m questioning that assumption.
Does individual action actually ladder up to systemic change? And if so, how?
If we want to understand our potential for impact, we need to get real about how much capacity we actually have.
I've started thinking about this in five tiers – the different levels of decisions and dynamics that guide our day-to-day lives:
Tier 1: The Immediate
Which train to catch, when to grab lunch, whether to reply to that Slack message. These are fast, reactive decisions.
Tier 2: The Daily & Situational
Workout or Netflix? Cook or order in? Read or scroll? Small choices that compound over time.
Tier 3: The Structural
The big life pillars that shape your trajectory – think: career, partner, where you live.
Tier 4: Identity & Narrative
This is your meaning-level compass. Questions like “who am I?” and “what am I here to do?” belong in this tier.
Tier 5: Macro & Systemic
The big, slow-moving forces that shape our lives. Political and economic systems, cultural structures.
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Here's what becomes clear when you look at it this way: Most of us are operating in tiers 1-3, trying to impact the big stuff at Tier 5 - but there's this huge gap in between.
Look around and you'll notice a lot of anxiety about the future. The big problems can feel so overwhelming that they consume a good bit of our headspace.
The natural response is to try to tackle these macro issues directly. They feel urgent. So we doom-scroll news, argue politics on social media, sign petitions, maybe donate to causes. But none of it actually reduces the anxiety. Why? Because we're operating at the wrong level.
We're looking for solutions in Tier 5 when our power is in Tiers 1-4. But systemic change happens at a scale we can't directly control, so all that striving and keeping up just makes us feel powerless.
The antidote to anxiety isn't more information about the problems. It's agency. And agency lives in the tiers where we actually have power.
When you flip the script - when you start with the tiers you can control - something shifts.
You can't directly fix the climate crisis, but you can align your daily energy choices with your values. You can't overhaul the political system, but you can build a career that contributes to solutions you care about. You can't single-handedly solve inequality, but you can examine how your decisions either reinforce or challenge existing systems.
This isn't about thinking small. It's about understanding how change actually works: systems shift when enough people organize their lives around different principles.
Every purchase is a vote. Every career choice is an endorsement. Every daily habit either feeds the machine or starves it. When the tiers of your life align, you're not trying to be an activist on top of a busy life. Your life becomes the activism. The anxiety dissolves with meaningful, personal action.
So yes, individual action does lead to systemic change – but only when it starts from the right place.
The world doesn't need more people forcing themselves to care about everything. It needs people who've built the capacity to consistently show up for what they’re actually called to contribute.
Build your foundation first. Get your tiers aligned. The contribution will follow naturally.
If not us, who?
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