The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way [Paperback]

Hillary Rettig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2006

Are you an activist who is always scrambling for time--and maybe leaving some projects undone or poorly done? Do you procrastinate? Are you tired of being broke and always having to scramble for money? Does instability in your personal life affect your ability to do your work? Does your work interfere with your ability to have a healthy, stable personal life, including good personal relationships? Do you feel like you might be burning out--or already have?

Or are you the parent, partner or friend of an activist who worries about these things on behalf of your loved one?

If you are, then The Lifelong Activist will help. It teaches activists how to avoid burnout by integrating activism consciously and joyfully into a well-balanced life. Its five sections--"Managing Your Mission"; "Managing Your Time"; "Managing Your Fears (a.k.a. Beating Procrastination)"; "Managing Your Relationship with Self" and "Managing Your Relationship with Others"--offer easy and effective techniques to help vactivists make realistic choices that ensure their long-term happiness and productivity, and those on the verge of burnout reclaim their enthusiasm, passion, and joy.

Written by a coach who has helped more than a thousand activists and others realize their dreams, The Lifelong Activist will help you take your activism to the next level, while at the same time helping you live a balanced, happy, and healthy life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If I had but one book to spend hard-earned cash on this year, this one would be it, hands down." -- SusanG, Daily Kos

About the Author

Hillary Rettig, founder of Boston-based coaching company Infinite Art, honed her philosophy and skills working as lead coach and curriculum developer at a nonprofit Boston microenterprise organization. She has been active in feminist, labor, and other causes, and is currently active in the animal and vegetarian movement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Lantern Books (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590560906
• ISBN-13: 978-1590560907
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #558,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When I was very young, I mainly wanted to do two things: write and help. As an adult, I find that the more time I spend in pursuit of those childhood goals, the happier I am.

I am an author, first and foremost. Then, a vegan, a lover of dogs and cats (and people, too, most of the time), and a coach and workshop leader specializing in helping people with their time management and overcoming procrastination and blocks. I feel outrageously fortunate to have wound up in the niche I have, not least because the people who tend to come to me for help are wonderful. I call them "ambitious dreamers:" the artists, activists, academics, community workers and businesspeople who work to live whole lives, and lives of integrity.

I am a classic "late bloomer" who didn't start coming into her own, professionally or personally, until she was 45 years old. I often have to tell younger people to "relax, it's gonna be fine." Late Bloomership is great! If you're struggling, please visit my website www.hillaryrettig.com for useful downloads, and email me if you want - if I can, I'll provide a brief free answer to your inquiry. [e-mail]

I totally believe in reinvention, and in the benefits of living as consciously as possible. Life can be difficult, but it is always deeply fascinating.

I am a progressive and political optimist, and feel incredibly fortunate to be living now. The Internet and related technologies are fundamentally progressive and power dispersing, and we are seeing their effect every day. The oppressors - including financial, religious, and racial elites - are fighting hard to hold onto their power, but we see evidence every day that it is slipping away.

I ask everyone to broaden their circle of compassion and concern to include the non-human animals we share this planet with. They suffer so deeply, and are also so deeply innocent. If you love your dog or cat, consider the other animals who often have equally rich emotional and social lives, and who feel bodily pain and mental anguish to the same extent our companion animals would in the same circumstances.

I struggle with eating and with exercise, and with some relationship stuff, but am satisfied with my progress overall. I'm proud of having overcome a 20 year writer's block.

I was born in the Bronx, and now live in East Boston, right across from some docks. I sit and watch boats - everything from tiny skiffs to giant LNG carriers - while I think about what I am writing. (Sometimes the boats are too distracting, and I have to write in the back room.) I am definitely a city person.

I have also: donated a kidney (to another animal activist) and fostered four Sudanese teenage refugees ("Lost Boys"). If you're a prospective kidney donor or foster parent, email me at [e-mail] and I will support you however I can.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Combat burnout and flex your activist muscles, December 14, 2006

By 

Kelly Garbato "www.easyvegan.info" (Kearney, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way (Paperback)

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.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lifelong Activist, December 8, 2006

By 

Debbie Julian (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way (Paperback)

I read this book, as I am an aspiring full time animal activist. What I realized is that you don't have to be an activist of any kind to read and utilize this book's many, invaluable insights and recommendations. This book was very thorough; used phrases and terminology that was new and exciting; I've ordered several for Holiday presents for my non-activist family members and friends, as I know that this will help them improve their lives and their levels of happiness and contentment. GREAT, GREAT READ! I loved it!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading the book is just the beginning, February 17, 2007

By 

Alan F. (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way (Paperback)

"The Lifelong Activist" is clearly written and a pleasure to read. But reading it is the easy part. Hillary Rettig, the author, is an animal activist who periodically refers to "companion animals" (the non-hierarchical version of "pets," I suppose), and the book reminds me of having a friendly but persistent snout being wedged into my hand to remind me that it's time to get off the couch and out the door.

The goal towards which the book nudges the reader is not necessarily full-throttle activism, but rather a searching examination of oneself followed by a dedication to whichever level of activism makes sense. Definitely a worthy goal. But by no means simple.

One of the ways in which Rettig helps out the reader is by giving some ideas of potential blocks and how they can be overcome. She aims mostly at target readers who are young, idealistic, and suspicious of anything suggestive of the corporate world. They dream of being consummate activists -- throwing themselves with complete abandon into every cause under the sun -- but feel guilty about their desires for a comfortable personal life. Rettig, by contrast, insists on finding balance between activist work and material needs, and spends about a third of the book promoting marketing concepts for activists as a means for convincing audiences. I can imagine such readers being struck by her insight, and channeling their newfound energy into a more productive approach toward engagement with the world.

Readers who are not as hard to persuade might not find the book as much of a catalyst, however. And a catalyst is clearly what is needed to get a disorganized person organized enough to do the exercises that will take one the rest of the way. Rettig does offer help in that regard: compassion, thought-provoking anecdotes, downloadable charts, exhortations to be playful. The book itself, however, is rather earnest. Those who are used to reading activist blogs may find Rettig's book lacking in snark (humor with an edge). I actually found that a selling point, however. While snark is entertaining, it can ultimately be distracting. And Rettig's book is about acknowledging the limited number of waking hours in a week (112, more or less), writing up a schedule, and then getting to work -- in a healthy way, of course.

If Rettig writes a second edition or sequel, in addition to choosing a more colorful cover (the path winding up the grassy hill is a great image, but why must it be in black and white?), I would like to see her address the central question of WHY to structure one's life around activism -- or not. In this regard, readers are mostly on their own. Of course, Rettig can't answer those questions for her readers, but she could spend some more effort marshalling insights and anecdotes, much as she does in her attempt to convince would-be martyrs that self-denial is not a sustainable strategy.

Rettig makes frequent appearances in the Boston area, where she lives and works as a life coach. (In fact, tomorrow I'll be going to hear her speak at a local vegetarian restaurant.) She maintains a blog, where she posts short essays, information about her schedule, and clips of interviews. Check out her site if you'd like to learn more. But do it now. You only have so many hours in a week...