Micro Activism

Taught me some valuable lessons, the most prominent being not to jump to conclusions too early.

I feel ashamed to admit that my first reaction, two chapters in, was cynical dismissal. I rolled my eyes as I ticked off the self-help tropes: Fun Personality Type Quiz, Inspirational Stories From Real People, Questions To Reflect On. Then I started realizing that the content itself was good. Very good. Sober, realistic, practical life lessons not just for activism but for being a responsible grownup: managing your focus, time, energy; framing in positive terms; choosing deep work, not shallow; allowing for mistakes and decision fatigue; creating routines. Williams covers, succinctly but solidly, pretty much all the foundations of how I try to live my life, including principles I've understood for decades and some that have taken me much longer to learn. Some I still struggle with despite understanding their importance (self-care, yeah, I know).

It is June 2025 as I write this: we are all activists now, and for the remainder of our lives. Might as well learn to do it right while respecting our limitations.