GET WOKE

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Being "woke" is about self awareness.  Once you are self aware, you can begin your journey of empathy and discovery.  Like many of us, I  always thought of myself as pretty keyed-in to whats happening.  I am well educated, have lots of global experience in business and generally have opinions about how things should be.  However, I wasn't really being honest with myself. 

I took advantage of all the modern conveniences- the internet, supermarkets, clean water, comfortable housing, etc.  I was aware of landfills, growing cancer rates, rise in autism, food chain issues.  I shopped at Whole Foods, I ate organic, I even became a vegetarian a fews years back- about 20 years after my wife convinced me it was a good idea. But I maintained all my existing habits.  I just altered the more conscious ones to make myself feel better.

Then, I read a book (more like listened to one) called Atomic Habits by James Clear. The book is really about self-empowerment to take control and chart your own course by becoming deliberate about how to create a pattern for good habits and discourage bad habits.  It really struck a chord with me- although perhaps in a different way.

I instantly made the connection to my "Voice of the Customer" work where we would observe the working habits (or leisure habits) of a target customer and literally chart every choice they made- searching for a nugget.  I was always struck by how little people thought about the small choices they make.  I thought about myself and tried to "observe" the habits from waking up to going to sleep.  

When I looked at the results, I was astonished.  I woke up, used the bathroom, brushed my teeth, took a shower, dressed and groomed and went down for breakfast.  When I dissected those activities, I realized that I used chemical-filled toothpaste from a major company, disposed of the plastic tube, used plastic floss (threw it away too), emptied the plastic floss container (threw it away).  I used shampoo out of a plastic bottle, conditioner out of a plastic bottle- contents of which are filled with chemicals I cant pronounce.  Those bottles would also be thrown into the trash.  The trash had a plastic liner as well.  Lotion from a plastic container and hair products (the hair stuff had a tin can), then a spritz of foam for shaving (plastic and tin?), shaving- "disposable" razor blade, etc. And this was the first 15 minutes of being awake. I used lots of water- never a consideration about consumption.  Toilet, shower, brushing teeth and shaving. I decided then are there that this had to change. 

But how?