You're facing constant challenges in community organizing. How can you maintain resilience and motivation?
Facing community organizing hurdles? Share your strategies for staying resilient and motivated.
You're facing constant challenges in community organizing. How can you maintain resilience and motivation?
Facing community organizing hurdles? Share your strategies for staying resilient and motivated.
-
The key when facing consistent challenges in any field -- community organizing or otherwise -- is to assess your methods and identify hurdles and inefficiencies. The antidote to stagnation is figuring out where you are going wrong and correcting course going forward. Get advice and guidance from friends, mentors, and others in the community; make subtle changes to your practice and notice the results. Community organizing is an iterative process that requires creativity and trial and error. Resilience and motivation come from the knowledge that it is an improvable skill with practice and experience. Keep making mistakes, keep improving, and you will see results.
-
I think, if I face constant challenges in organizing community, then its not the problem or a concern to worry. It's just I don't understand them well or the instrument for which I wanted to organize them is not relevant to them. So, like every flower has its own time and space to bloom, I will be waiting and continue my association with the community. Organized community is not the process, it is an outcome. When I really enjoy my association with community and put my honest and sincere efforts, one day, community gets organized themselves, I'm just an instrument. So, this perspective helps me to maintain motivation.
-
To maintain resilience in community organizing, stay anchored to your mission. Cultivate a strong network for shared support and insights. Embrace adaptability, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth. Finally, prioritize self-care to sustain both personal well-being and long-term motivation.
-
I find that the key to remaining resilient and maintaining motivation is remembering the end goal. I take time to remember where I started and reflect on how much progress I’ve made. I subset goals by creating progression checkpoints. These checkpoints create a place where I can reflect on the work that I have done. This allows for an easy way to motivate myself, knowing that I have completed important work, even when there is more to do. I also try and be thankful for all those who help me progress towards my goal. I find doing the simple things, saying thank you, having a positive mindset and starting from a place of “I can” makes it easier to maintain motivation and remain resilient.
-
First remember the challenges one faces when going into a new community! To stay resilient and motivated, reconnect with your purpose—remember why your work matters. Set achievable goals to celebrate small wins that build momentum. Build a support network of colleagues or friends who understand your journey, offering encouragement and new perspectives. Prioritize self-care to recharge both physically and mentally. Embrace setbacks as learning opportunities, fostering a growth mindset. Balance exposure to challenges with positive stories and inspiration. Stay flexible, adjusting your approach as needed to keep things fresh. This balance of purpose, support, and adaptability sustains resilience and motivation over time.
-
I stay resilient in community organizing by focusing on the bigger picture, celebrating small wins, and seeking support from others. Regular reflection and self-care help me stay motivated during challenges.
-
Put on your hater shaders, remember the “why” from your heart of hearts, and believe in yourself! Stay grounded in the purpose behind your work. Reflecting on the bigger picture and the positive change you’re striving for can keep your motivation high, even when challenges arise. If you believe in yourself and the cause, look to the small positives that you can rally around. No one will believe in your cause if you don’t personify unwavering belief in yourself.
-
When facing challenges in community organizing, I stay motivated by reconnecting with my purpose and reflecting on small wins that remind me of the impact we’re creating. I lean on my support network of fellow organizers and mentors for strength and fresh ideas. Practicing self-care, I take breaks to recharge, keeping myself grounded and ready to adapt to new approaches when needed. Celebrating each bit of progress, even small victories, keeps the team inspired and focused on our shared goals.
-
Sometimes with community organizing, you have to celebrate the small wins to stay motivated. This may also sound very basic but you also have to view challenges as opportunities that will make you tougher for whatever you may face moving forward.
-
In my experience, staying resilient and motivated in the face of community organizing hurdles starts with a clear and unwavering vision. I believe that ‘wherever your attention goes, your energy flows.’ For me, this means focusing on the goals and the positive outcomes we want to achieve for our community, rather than getting bogged down by the challenges. This mindset keeps me energized and helps guide our efforts in the right direction.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Community OrganizingWhat are the best negotiation frameworks for social justice in Community Organizing?
-
Public AdministrationFacing community backlash over a policy update gone awry. How will you navigate the fallout?
-
Community OutreachHere's how you can enhance conflict resolution in community outreach with restorative justice practices.
-
Community OutreachHow can you build community trust through shared values and goals?