The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World without Losing Your Way

by Hillary Rettig

The Lifelong Activist is a guide to living a joyful and productive life that includes a strong progressive mission. It offers simple and clear instructions that help you figure out the form your authentic life should take, and live that life with a maximum of joy and productivity, and a minimum of fear, guilt and shame. The book's sections are: Managing Your Mission (figuring out your authentic mission) Managing Your Time (building a schedule that allows you to realize that mission) Managing Your Fears (beating perfectionism, procrastination and blocks to success, so you can follow your schedule) Managing Your Relationships (leveraging your strengths with those of others) The Lifelong Activist is for liberal activists, artists, campaign workers, labor organizers, volunteers, students, teachers, human services workers, and entrepreneurs, but anyone can use it and learn from it. It can act as a useful handbook for students and young people at the beginning of their careers; those contemplating a career or path change; and those at risk for burnout will find it particularly useful.

Genres: Activism, Politics, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Reference, Philosophy

416 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2006

About the author

All of my work is devoted to helping people locate and remedy the disempowering forces in their work and life, so that they can reclaim their joyful productivity.

Procrastination, blocks, and other forms of underproductivity aren't due to laziness or lack of discipline, but disempowerment. Disempowerment means you’re not missing anything you need to be productive: you’re just separated from, or have lost access to, that which you have–i.e., your strengths, skills, talents and energy. (Laziness, etc., are symptoms, not causes, so please don’t focus on them.)

My most recent books are Productivity is Power I: 5 Liberating Practices for College Students (Infinite Art, 2022) and Productivity is Power II: For Creative, Business, and Other Professionals (Infinite Art, 2023).

Other books include the bestselling The 7 Secrets of the Prolific, The Journey is the Reward, and The Lifelong Activist.

I have taught productivity and time-management classes at top writing, business, educational, arts, and community organizations throughout the United States.

My articles have appeared in Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Fortune, Future Buzz, Time Management Ninja, Tomorrow’s Professor, Authors Helping Authors, The Thesis Whisperer, and numerous other publications.

On a personal note, I was born in the Bronx, NY, and have also lived in Ithaca (NY), Boston (MA), and Kalamazoo (MI). My partner and I recently moved to Warren, RI, and are enjoying living near the ocean. I'm a vegan, living kidney donor, former foster mother to four South Sudanese refugee teenagers (now all adult and living independently), and lover of life, dogs, travel, and social justice in all its forms.

Please visit my Website for more information about me and my work, plus lots of free downloads.

Reviews

[Milena Koles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped a lot.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, let me start off by saying that this review is probably biased because I helped edit parts of this book and I'm friends with the author. However, this is still a book that I would pick up and read even if my brilliant contributions weren't integrated ...

I really enjoy the first three sections, which mainly deal with self-care and relationships with others. There are many of interesting insights about how the always-sacrifice-yourself-for-the-cause attitude in activists can lead to burnout and ultimately stifles a lot of amazing work. I've taken a lot of the time management and self-care advice to heart and I'm convinced that it has kept me sane throughout the last two years.

I'm not a huge fan of the last two sections, both of which deal mainly with effective activist techniques. The basic argument is that marketing is the best way to "sell" causes. Maybe this is just a hard pill to swallow, but I found myself not entirely convinced.

This is a great book for activists, especially if you're feeling burnt out. You probably won't agree with everything (like me), but it's so damn practical that it's hard to ignore the good advice.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review from thinkgirl.net:

The Lifelong Activist guides progressive activists toward a balanced life. A truly substantive self-help book, its questions lead activists toward self-examination. Rettig advises mission, time, fear, and relationship management strategies for avoiding burnout. She smartly walks the line between idealism and realism. Short chapters cut to the chase and fit a busy schedule. Readers learn valuable tips on selling and marketing a cause. Most importantly she acknowledges that activists cannot sacrifice their wellbeing to their cause. They must take care of themselves, as they are the most precious resource we have for a transformed world.

[Rift Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not an activist, I am a person who does some activism here and there. :) I started reading this book to get a better idea about what it would take to bump up my activism. But the first part of the book is rather intimidating to me... lots of deep, deep writing/journaling projects and intensive time management that sounds rather obsessive. I definitely do not have what it takes to be a "real" activist, and I am even more appreciative of the activists I know!!

The rest of the book, after that first section, was very informative. I learned all kinds of crazy things that I had never considered before! Worth re-reading, in the not-too-distant future.

[rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I’ve found the exercises to be very useful and informative. I’ve spent years of my life sacrificing my health/financial security/relationships for campaigns that didn’t even win. Now that I’m in my 30s and I have a kid and a spouse and aging parents, I’m desperate to find a way to stay active without losing sight of my specific responsibilities to myself and my loved ones.

This book has really helped me take stock of some unhelpful patterns I have around money, career, and time management. I find the workbook style particularly useful.

I’m only leaving 3 stars because I don’t think that Rettig meaningfully deals with the additional burden of reproductive work on parents of young children in particular. Maybe we just aren’t meant to be activists in this phase of our lives? Or can we create orgs that include children into their structure so that we don’t have to miss all of the weeknight organizing meetings? Still looking for the book that will help me figure this one out...

[Rebecca Klemme Eliceiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for all those who want to live a life that integrates thoughts and prayers with tangible action so you can find your activist feet without losing your mind and soul. Living the activist life is a marathon, not a sprint, and if you don’t want to burn out prematurely you need to train for it like a marathon. This is the book that will help you create your training plan and give you encouragement along the way.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource, encouraging and practical.

Highly recommended.

[mad mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combat burnout and flex your activist muscles

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review at the publisher's invitation.)

As a fellow activist, author Hillary Rettig knows how grinding and stressful activism can be; those who devote their time and energy (indeed, much of their lives) to correcting the many injustices in the world are subject to stress, exhaustion, and even burnout. Luckily, Ms. Rettig - who is or has been active in a number of progressive issues, including feminism, labor, animal rights, and vegetarianism - is also a business coach. In THE LIFELONG ACTIVIST, she shares some of her insight with fellow activists and do-gooders.

Ms. Rettig aims to help the you, the reader, maximize your effectiveness in your advocacy endeavors (whether in a volunteer or work capacity) by tackling five life areas: your mission, your time, your fears, your relationship with yourself, and your relationship with others. The author takes the approach that you can have a fun, successful, and lengthy activist career - but only if you live a balanced life. While your activism can (indeed, should!) be one aspect of your life that defines you, by no means should it dominate your life. In order to avoid burnout, you must also nurture yourself and your relationships.

In order to help readers strike the appropriate balance - which, it should be noted, differs from person to person - Ms. Rettig leads you through a series of activities to help you clarify and delineate your goals, priorities, and missions. Oftentimes, sacrifices and compromises must be made between these; for example, many activists are torn between material wants and needs and their advocacy work. Ms. Rettig assures us that occasionally choosing to meet one's own wants and needs over those of "the movement" doesn't make us bad activists; rather, by nurturing ourselves, we're also nurturing our creativity, our motivation, and our capacity to effect change - all of which will serve our activism well in the long run. Ms. Rettig also emphasizes the need to focus on one specific cause or area of activism, so that we can develop our talents and actually see the outcomes of our hard work.

Additionally, it's important to recognize and embrace our unique talents. By fostering that which we delight in and excel at, activism becomes less of a chore and more of a joy. For instance, if you loathe public speaking, then representing your organization at a local conference is not the job for you - no matter how much your colleagues press you. Offer instead to help cater the event (if you love cooking) or design the campaign materials (if you're the artsy type). Forcing yourself to take on jobs that you hate will only lead to burnout, especially if it's a constant occurrence.

Of course, this is only a small sampling of the advice offered up in THE LIFELONG ACTIVIST. Among other things, you'll also learn how to: budget your time and money; combat perfectionism, negativism, and hypersensitivity; mentor and be mentored; self-actualize; deal with guilt and anxiety; delegate; and set boundaries. If you're feeling stressed out or anxious in your role as an activist, advocate, or agitator, there's plenty of helpful information to be had in THE LIFELONG ACTIVIST.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2006/12/14/...

[Steev Hise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really very good book and very useful to me even before I finished reading it. It took me a long time for 2 reasons: first, there was a lot in it that I tried out as I went, pausing in my reading till I'd assimilated some of the ideas. and second, a lot of the book is sort of scary because it presents ways to make your life as an activist better but only with considerable work and changes to the way you do things.

I'm still dealing with that feeling, but the point is that this book offers lots and lots of hope for how to continue to be engaged and involved as someone working to make the world a better place, even as you get older and move through different phases of life.

If you've ever felt burned out or ineffective or marginalized or ready to throw in the towel and just go back to being a regular clueless person (swallow the blue pill), this book will probably reinvigorate you, though it may also be daunting. keep forging ahead, and if you have to, skip some chapters and come back to them later. I sort of feel like the "self-actualization" section of the book should have come closer to the beginning, and the "marketing" section should have been at the very end. i skipped around some to make it easier.

Anyway. yes. read this. it's awesome.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to the author: "Activism is the act of influencing a person or a group of people with the goal of eliciting a desired BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE....The word behavioral is crucial because it is behavioral change, not simply a change of heart or mind, that leads to a more progressive society". Throughout the text, Retting has used the idea of behavioural/environmental change, including observing one's progress using QUANTIFIABLE measures. Love it. As she said, IT WORKS.

I think that everyone is an activist (as per the definition). So EVERYONE should read this book including existing activists. The text is simple, the chapters short and allows one to read on their own pace. Very useful tips/worksheets that I have started to use. I know a bit about time/self management so this was a more of a REFRESHER TEXT. It reinforced some of my existing habits and positively punished others.

For those who cringe at words like 'time-management', 'planning', 'organizing', 'prioritizing' (you get the gist), you should definitely read this book. You won't be disappointed...and even if you don't agree with everything (no one does), you still stand to gain much.

400 pages of hope.

[Inder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why am I reading a book about activism when I don't even have time to walk my dogs? I don't know. Nonetheless, this book has some very helpful advice. I like that the author points out that surviving financially may make you a better activist, as opposed to a bourgeois pig - that is, get over your martyr complex and stop feeling guilty about needing money! And the advice on learning to say "no" sure applies to me! This book would probably be more helpful to someone who is a full- or most-of-the-time activist. Me, I wish I was a very-part-time activist, and it wasn't quite as helpful. Nonetheless, a good book full of sound advice.

[Dave Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an activist in any sense of the word... the most I do for a cause is retweet or share it, but I did get a lot out of this book. I found it when searching for books on Maslow's ideas of self actualisation, and it had some good practical advice and ideas in that area. It was also strong on removing mental barriers to self actualisation that are common in activists, but I suspect rampant in anyone with a conflicted heart.

I didn't read the last third of the book, as it was very specific to activism.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never finished reading the whole book.

I'm slowly finding it is describing how to become a better workaholic, down to becoming more effective in 15 min intervals for the rest of your life. I expected more "whole person" & "well-balanced" life, but in the middle it starts talking about "all or nothing".

I liked the first few sections.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't agree with all of this book, and found the last chapter (on marketing) to be unhelpful, but there are some fantastic pieces in here. Those pieces merit 4 stars and I would recommend this book to most anyone who would like to be more effective and productive. So just go in with the idea that you can skim when it wanders away from the good stuff.

[Elaine Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to go back to the library. :( Good stuff, like a GTD for the leftist. Doing one of the early exercises helped me clarify what I do and don't want to do as a volunteer, and to get some perspective on a project that I feel like I botched. Definitely want to get my own copy and finish working through it.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are active on behalf of a social cause, it’s likely you’ve met the self-undermining sort of activist who seems to make a bad move at every turn. Give him/her a copy of this book. You might want to buy a copy for yourself, too, to help you avoid common pitfalls like burnout and fruitless campaigns.

[E. Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rettig has a talent for helping activists break down huge problems into manageable goals. She helps us to continue this most needed work of ours without burning out or giving up. More than just that, she helps us to become more effective in the short and long term. A must read.

[Jill Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Hillary is very clearly an expert in the subject matter and she gives incredibly reasonable advice to help people who want to change the world work toward that goal without burning out.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many books for activists talk strategy, but how many focus on how to integrate activism into your life in a mindful, healthy way? Rettig’s book explores issues such as finding your mission, dealing with burnout, and dealing with your time and finances constructively.

[Sally McRogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some useful tools here for avoiding burnout! May be useful if I tried using some of em . . .

[Unny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first 70 pages of this book outline the considerations you need to stick with activism for your whole life.