If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that the way we’re living is not working for our one precious life and our one irreplaceable planet.
We’re being called to redesign the way we live.
I believe the future together is small and close. Small homes. Small footprint. Less stuff. Less cost. More love. More belonging. Community-care and climate-care are the two essential philosophies to underpin this new way of living.
I’m so lucky to live in a progressive development of 18 townhouses and 49 apartments by Assemble Projects in Clifton Hill, Melbourne. It’s quite possibly the smallest and the happiest home I’ve ever lived in!
I say progressive, not just because it’s innovative, but because we’re in a constant state of progress. It’s not a set and forget affair. While the foundations of life here are fabulous, there’s still much to be done to be better for the planet and better for our people.
For example, the state of our bin-room has been a constant source of angst for many of our climate-caring folks. A number of residents seem to think it’s the perfect place for getting rid of their hard-rubbish and many are not recycling properly. (And yes, I admit that’s been me very occasionally, not wilfully but due to ignorance.)
Instead of just giving up or just cleaning it up and grumbling and thinking of it as a problem to be solved, we’re asking ourselves what’s possible here. What can we create together? How might we redesign our waste system so that it’s fun and engaging for adults and children alike? How might waste become a resource? How might we educate people in the circular economy to refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, resell or refurbish before rejecting and wasting? How might we conduct our own War on Waste? Craig Reucassel, if you’re listening, we need you!
This project is being led by a handful of residents in consultation with waste experts and our local council, and hopefully with fingers-crossed, a council grant.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” said Margaret Mead. Our hope one day is that this project will become a blueprint for other developments like ours. Our vision is big, yet we’re starting small with just a handful of people who care.
Is there something you’d love to redesign in the way you live? If so, who’s your handful of people?
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With love
About me: I’m a Purpose Educator and author of The Purpose Project. I help leaders attract and retain the best people by harnessing the power of deep purpose and storytelling. I do this through keynote speaking, a customised consultative process for co-creating a new purpose statement, the purpose storytelling course and The Purpose Project Course, a 7-step online course to help employees bring their own why to work.