We Got This: A 2025 Mindset

I've heard very few words of advice that fall into the category of “Hell, yes, that makes a difference.”

Of the hundreds of people I’ve interviewed, hundreds more books I’ve read, and too many therapists I’ve consulted, most advice lands in the watching Netflix camp: engaging in the moment but totally forgettable. Or, more precisely, passingly interesting but not life-changing.

Credit: Sue Tucker

One of the few exceptions came two years ago. It was at the tail end of COVID and in the midst of what people called “Snowmageddon.” That word was first used to describe a 2010 blizzard and later a movie. But in the winter of 2022-2023, it also described where I live in California.

Almost 60 feet of snow fell—often a foot a day for days and months on end. December was fun. January felt like a lot of work. February started to get scary. Alerts came over my phone: “Watch for sudden roof collapse.” How one does that, I had no idea. A tree went through a neighbor’s roof. Another neighbor’s house collapsed entirely.

At the same time, my youngest son had a freeride ski competition in Canada. He was 18, and this was his first season competing as an adult. Freeride is somewhat similar to the Olympics’ freestyle skiing, where athletes do wild tricks on massive halfpipes.

But in freeride, skiers do their flips and other tricks using the natural features of a mountain (think big rocks and cliffs.) And, unlike in the Olympics, they don’t get to practice on the features in advance. 

My son, an extreme athlete from a very young age, has done this for years, which has turned me into someone who prays, at least when I see what he is doing.

But this time, I couldn’t be there for his competition—among other reasons, because of the threat of sudden roof collapse. So, I prepared myself to watch over Livestream, hoping against hope that the ongoing heavy snowfall wouldn’t make the power go out.

Then I got a text. It was from the mom of another skier, though, as I recall, not one who was competing that day.

She said she was watching and wished my son luck. Then she asked how I was.

“Nervous!” I responded.

She understood. Her son had once seriously injured himself in competition.

“I guess all we can do,” she said, “is have faith that we’ll be able to handle whatever happens.”

Bam. That landed. It was not a Pollyannaish “Everything will be all right” response. And it was not a “Yeah, I’m going to check out” diversion from reality.

It was truth and wise intention combined.

As we stand on the precipice of a new and to many of us unwelcome chapter in America, that’s not a bad way to orient our mindset. Or perhaps to say to ourselves like a mantra, one small reminder that we can rise instead of shrink in the face of challenges.

A bit more concretely, we can set our intention to respond to what 2025 and beyond brings with courage, altruism, and integrity—the essence of ordinary heroism in these extraordinary times.

Of course, aspiration must be matched with effort. We cannot make progress—in a sport, mission-driven work, or anything else in life—without skill development, practice, and a helpful mindset.

That’s why this is the focus of my work in 2025. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more about my talks, coaching, or workshops. 

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How Self-Agency Helps in Uncertain Times

Something to Sustain Us, Something to Do

In the firestorm of these times, we all need something to sustain us—whether it’s the love of family, a spiritual practice, or a connection to a worthy cause. But just as importantly, we need something to do—a genuine sense of self-agency, however humble or grand.

Photo credit: Natalia Blauth.

The Importance of Self-Agency

Research shows that self-agency is key in shaping decision-making and behavior for individuals and organizations. A 2024 study in Behavioral Science found that self-agency is associated with better employee performance, satisfaction, and engagement, while its absence correlates with increased burnout and turnover.

In these extraordinary times, when so many things make us feel powerless—from witnessing the fires in Los Angeles to growing economic inequality to the undermining of democracy—it helps to cultivate self-agency for ourselves and others deliberately.

This is how we resist the feelings of powerlessness, fatalism, and despair that so many face today—feelings that can diminish us if we let them.

So, how do we do this?

How to Cultivate Self-Agency: Four Steps

1. Recognize the deep, shared need for self-agency.

While clearing her parents’ home, a friend recently found a ceramic shell. Her mother explained its significance: as a child fleeing the Nazis, she took the shell from a museum where her family hid overnight. In a chaotic and terrifying world, it gave her a sense of control—a reminder that even small acts can sustain us.

We all need that sense of agency, regardless of age or circumstances.

What gives you a sense of grounding and control during challenging times? 

2. Consider your limiting beliefs about self-agency—and rewrite them.

“My action won’t make a difference” is a common refrain today. But even small actions often make a difference—at least to you, and that matters.

Other limiting beliefs may sound like:

• “I don’t know enough.”

• “I don’t have time.”

• “If I fail, others will judge me.”

The good news is that these beliefs can be unlearned. Thought leaders like Brené Brown, Angela Duckworth, and Michelle Obama offer insights that can help dismantle self-doubt and inspire action.

What limiting belief has been holding you back? What new belief can replace it? It’s remarkable how reframing one belief can unlock action. 

3. Set an intention—to do something.

Here’s where many of us stumble: But what something?

Over time, I’ve discovered that the specific action matters less than taking action itself—because doing something gets us moving.

Start small:

• Reach out to a neighbor in need.

• Volunteer a few hours to a local cause.

• Write a note of encouragement to someone struggling.

• Donate through GoFundMe, The American Red Cross, or Mutual Aid LA Network to support people and animals affected by the Los Angeles fires.

Every act of agency contributes to a ripple effect of hope and change. As James Clear reminds us, small steps can lead to significant transformations.

4. Connect. Connect. Connect.

Self-agency doesn’t exist in isolation because we don’t exist in isolation. We often feel more empowered when we connect with others who share our values and goals.

A friend recently shared that she and her sister planned to drive to Los Angeles to rescue animals from shelters. Though often hidden beneath troubling headlines, stories like this show how connection amplifies agency and impact.

On a personal level, is there someone in your life who shares your values or passions you can reach out to today to explore what you could do together? 

Meanwhile, at the organizational level, aligning individual self-agency with the group’s mission can foster a collective sense of purpose. 

For example, a team that starts with a small sustainability initiative might inspire more significant cultural shifts within their organization, from improved collaboration to more significant impact on shared goals.

Over my 20-plus years of working in mission-driven organizations, I’ve seen the momentum these actions can inspire. 

For leaders, fostering self-agency within teams can ignite creativity and resilience, helping organizations navigate today’s challenges with greater purpose.

Finding Our Way Forward

Self-agency is about more than taking action—it’s about reclaiming a sense of possibility in an overwhelming world. Whether it’s a small gesture, a personal project, or connecting with others to make a difference, each step strengthens our capacity to navigate these uncertain times–like dropping anchor in tumultuous seas. And who couldn’t use a bit more grounding now?

Want to Go Deeper?

Having worked in many mission-driven organizations, I’ve seen how cultivating self-agency can transform how we face challenges, individually and collectively. If these ideas resonate, I’d love to hear your thoughts and explore how I might support your team, organization, or goals. Let’s start a conversation.

The Fight That Matters Most in 2025

Bird eating from a person’s hand.

One fight will be more critical this year than all the rest: the fight to know our actions matter.

It is easy, of course, to think they don’t. Or don’t matter enough. Or that we cannot win the battle—even for vital things such as a healthy climate and democracy.

After all, the challenges of living in a polycrisis are significant, and this year, they will be even more complex.

Yet, we cannot give into the myth of powerlessness.

The Most Corrosive Narrative of Our Time

In fact, I would argue that the most corrosive narrative of our day is the one that suggests we are powerless.

• Powerless to reign in climate change.

• Powerless to protect democracy.

• Powerless to advance equality or care for those who need it.

• Powerless to stop the train of destruction headed our way.

• Powerless to model a better way of being.

I once asked the late Stanford University professor Philip Zimbardo why he thought more people didn’t fight for essential things like a healthy climate. His answer was as pointed as his goatee:

“Everyone is told they can make a difference,” he said. “And no one believes it.”

We must get to the root of that belief and change it.

Why This Fight Can’t Wait

We cannot give in to the notion (one I, too, have considered) of stepping back, riding out the next few years, and focusing on our personal lives alone until, we hope, sanity again takes hold in the world.

That won’t happen without us. How could it?

We must believe our actions matter because they do.

Direct, one-on-one action matters. Fighting for system change matters. And being a voice for what is good matters. It all matters on any scale and in every venue available to us.

Countless studies and stories support this truth. For example:

• A study published in Nature found that when just 25% of people take small, coordinated actions, it can create tipping points that shift societal norms.

• The American Psychological Association recently reported on a growing body of research suggesting that restoring hope is a vital first step in cultivating positive change in yourself, others, or society.

• Many studies have shown that role models of ethical leadership—even those who speak up for what is right—inspire others.

Integrity: The Compass for Action

In the framework of Ordinary Heroism in Extraordinary Times that I teach, all of this speaks to the critical role of integrity:

• Being clear about our values.

• Allowing those values to guide us.

• Aligning with others to take purposeful action.

We may not know where our actions will lead, but knowing they matter—for us and others—lets us walk the path of integrity and plant the seeds of a better future.

The Power of Small Actions

At an Aspen Institute climate conference, I once heard National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore share a story about an elderly woman who spent part of every day feeding endangered birds.

Knowing she could only feed one or two or three a day, some people suggested it was too insignificant to matter.

Her response? She pointed to the last bird she fed and said, “It mattered to that one.”

Discover How to Make Your Actions Matter

This winter, I’m offering talks, workshops, and coaching on Ordinary Heroism in Extraordinary Times. This original framework is designed to help participants cultivate the timeless skills of heroism coupled with the modern skills of perception, presence, and power needed to navigate uncertainty, complexity, and change,

Put another way, this program helps to

• Lessen overwhelm, anxiety, and disengagement,

• And boost clarity, courage, and purpose

Interested? Let’s connect to discuss how my talks, workshops, and coaching on Ordinary Heroism in Extraordinary Timescan help you or your organization navigate uncertainty with clarity, courage, and purpose. Schedule your complimentary 20-minute discovery session here.