I’m glad EA has given you feelings of hope and purpose—I really resonate with that experience. I also resonate with sometimes feeling overwhelmed with all the things to read and do.
Some musings came to mind when I read your post. I don’t know if they’ll resonate with you, but sharing just in case it’s helpful. 1) When I’m feeling like that I sometimes think about the starfish parable mentioned here. There are an overwhelming number of starfish, but I’m doing my best to try and get some back into the sea, ideally as many as I can, knowing I’ll never save them all. That sometimes helps me get out of overwhelm/ paralysis.
2) Staying in metaphor land, I think it’s also worth saying that while I can’t save all the starfish, I can save more if I start sooner, rather than spending too long reading about how to throw. I think I used to feel like I didn’t know enough, that I could never catch up, but that I needed to catch up before I could do important work. It might be worth checking in with yourself about what you’re reading for pleasure / interest, and what you’re reading in your pursuit of impact. They certainly aren’t always mutually exclusive, and it is good to be well informed before you take certain actions, but try to figure out what what knowledge you need, to prioritise obtaining in order to take some next steps towards impact.
Yes, thank you so much for your comment! Because I’m still in my first year, I’m allowing myself to explore various topics to figure out what I truly want to focus on. The In-Depth program, which I’m currently in the third week of, has been incredibly helpful, and I feel like I’m getting closer every day to finding my area of focus.
In addition, the career-planning program I’m involved in has been a great way to learn more about myself and how I can direct my skills toward a high-impact career. Although I have considerable knowledge about animal welfare, I feel a strong calling to expand the Effective Altruism community. I would love for more people to access the information I gained when I first discovered EA, and I think focusing on community-building might lead to a greater impact. I’m still studying all the possibilities while taking action, so it’s a process of learning and doing at the same time.
That said, I’m not just studying—I’m working part-time at a company committed to transitioning Peru’s egg industry to cage-free and raising public awareness about it. I’m also an active volunteer, dedicating a lot of my time to organizations like Mercy For Animals, Sea Shepherd Brasil, and Sinergia Animal, and I share my activism through posts on LinkedIn.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts; they really resonate with me, and I appreciate your support!
I’m glad EA has given you feelings of hope and purpose—I really resonate with that experience. I also resonate with sometimes feeling overwhelmed with all the things to read and do.
Some musings came to mind when I read your post. I don’t know if they’ll resonate with you, but sharing just in case it’s helpful.
1) When I’m feeling like that I sometimes think about the starfish parable mentioned here. There are an overwhelming number of starfish, but I’m doing my best to try and get some back into the sea, ideally as many as I can, knowing I’ll never save them all. That sometimes helps me get out of overwhelm/ paralysis.
2) Staying in metaphor land, I think it’s also worth saying that while I can’t save all the starfish, I can save more if I start sooner, rather than spending too long reading about how to throw. I think I used to feel like I didn’t know enough, that I could never catch up, but that I needed to catch up before I could do important work. It might be worth checking in with yourself about what you’re reading for pleasure / interest, and what you’re reading in your pursuit of impact. They certainly aren’t always mutually exclusive, and it is good to be well informed before you take certain actions, but try to figure out what what knowledge you need, to prioritise obtaining in order to take some next steps towards impact.
Yes, thank you so much for your comment! Because I’m still in my first year, I’m allowing myself to explore various topics to figure out what I truly want to focus on. The In-Depth program, which I’m currently in the third week of, has been incredibly helpful, and I feel like I’m getting closer every day to finding my area of focus.
In addition, the career-planning program I’m involved in has been a great way to learn more about myself and how I can direct my skills toward a high-impact career. Although I have considerable knowledge about animal welfare, I feel a strong calling to expand the Effective Altruism community. I would love for more people to access the information I gained when I first discovered EA, and I think focusing on community-building might lead to a greater impact. I’m still studying all the possibilities while taking action, so it’s a process of learning and doing at the same time.
That said, I’m not just studying—I’m working part-time at a company committed to transitioning Peru’s egg industry to cage-free and raising public awareness about it. I’m also an active volunteer, dedicating a lot of my time to organizations like Mercy For Animals, Sea Shepherd Brasil, and Sinergia Animal, and I share my activism through posts on LinkedIn.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts; they really resonate with me, and I appreciate your support!