Sustainability: A Long-Term Mindset for Growth, Society, and Life (Part 1)
I am thinking about sustainability. Partially because I have been asked to join a task force of coaches, supervisors, psycholigists and othrs in the psycho-social community who represent their orgaisation as we seek to updayte a climate agreement we have. I, of course, represent the EASC as a board member. For now I will call it the coaching climate agreement, just for myself.
What does sustainability mean for me? It is a way to see life.
Sustainability is more than just concerning environmental issues, although, of course, that is what one first thinks of. It is a kind of glasses with lenses on the long-term view as it is looking with a long-term mindset that ensures growth, stability, and well-being for you and me as individuals, communities, countries, continents, and then the planet.
It is about personal and communal choice.
Sustainable growth requires making conscious decisions that balance present needs without compromising future generations. It is, as a native indigenous people say (if I remember correctly), borrowing from your grandchildren. It is also about my personal choices and how to live in a way that is within the boundaries of my small family system, my larger community and country systems, and finally, in the world at large. It is about how a company or organisation chooses to work, as well.
The lens is a long-term view.
Having a long-term view means prioritizing long-term impact over short-term gains. In business and personal life we need to adopting a sustainabile way of moving forward together – I feel rather strongly about these issues at present, by the way! These choices include responsible resource management, ethical leadership, and mindful consumption, as well as many other issues, such as stakeholder-centered companies that do not focus on shares as much as the wider community at large. Also, societal sustainability involves creating equitable opportunities, fostering education, and promoting inclusivity to ensure collective progress either as a country or as a region like the EU.
Seeing you iwith a sustainable view.
As a coach and supervisor, I think often of you, my client, in sustainable ways. So, on a personal level, sustainable living means maintaining physical, emotional, and mental well-being through balanced habits, resilience, and self-care, as well as making sustainable choices not only for myself but for my family, community and the world. Long-term thinking helps you (and me) – and organizations adapt to change, remain innovative, and even build lasting success.
Changing our lives and our world for the better is my goal.
By embracing sustainability as a guiding principle, you and I can cultivate a thriving society, protect our environment, and lead fulfilling lives full of meaning and joy, ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come. The question is how. I will explore this a bit in the next blogs.
Have a very sustainable weekend!
Patricia Jehle patricia@jehle-coaching.com
