#2: Charlie’s Checklist
Today I want to talk to you about Charlie’s checklist. 📋
Born in 1924 and still alive to this day, Charlie Munger is one of the top investors in the world. Like Warren Buffett, he's from Omaha, where I live. He's an American billionaire investor and businessman known as Warren Buffett's closest partner and right-hand man.
Why am I bringing up an American white guy billionaire? After all, Bernie Sanders said that billionaires shouldn't exist!
Because Charlie Munger's wisdom, at least when it comes to making decisions and tackling a problem effectively, is virtually unsurpassed. And while I wouldn't consider Munger an activist, I think his thinking can make our activism more successful and even unstoppable.
Let's Make a Checklist
Many activists are utterly overwhelmed.
The dialogue, especially during this time in history, often goes like this:
"Things feel hopeless. Things are getting dark for me."
(This is a recurring problem. Many activists end up in a sympathetic or dorsal vagal state: overwhelmed, activated, collapsed, or burned out.)
"Don't give up! Here, have some kind and thoughtful energy."
I appreciate the responses folks offer each other, which is part of community care and can help the activist find safety again.
But here's the question that often gets ignored, which can help activists prevent burnout and create even more impact:
What role can I play in addressing the world's converging crises?
Which piece of my contribution has the most enduring quality?
How can that path sustain me? What foundations must I create?
Charlie Munger says, "I'm a great believer in solving hard problems using a checklist." This quality of being selective and thorough couldn't be more critical for activists and leaders.
I believe we can shift from a diffuse activism to a focused one because focusing on the things that matter most gives us leverage.
When each thing is done well, we help ensure that a system becomes self-generating and starts to function the way it should—and if you remember the school of fish in Finding Nemo who swam together to break the net, you'll see how focus and leverage make a difference.
Each fish captured by the system started overwhelmed and unsure. Then, upon waking up, they each began moving in the same direction. Each fish's participation was an item on that checklist. If we complete the correct checklist of things in our lives, we break the net.
As I mentioned in a previous edition of this newsletter, all you need are the three bones: the wishbone, the jawbone, and the backbone.
Often, the checklist is the backbone that will keep you standing. It keeps us solid and able to withstand the pressures of life.
The Takeaway
How do you ensure the gates of hell do not prevail against what you are trying to create? It often starts with a checklist.
Charlie Munger solved everything with a checklist, breaking a big problem into parts and working on them individually. Anyone doing this work can apply a slow, steady, methodological approach, especially those looking to make a positive difference.
When you feel overwhelmed by the forces that seem to be coming at you, remember that creating a targeted, practical checklist may help you accomplish your goals.
News and Resources
If you're looking to figure out how to contribute, Roger Walsh's essay on contributing effectively in times of crisis offers remarkable guidance. It can help you understand how to respond with heart at a time when many people are burying their heads in the sand.
NYT bestselling author and activist Marianne Williamson is running for President of the United States and might be the answer to America's overlapping crises. If you want an introduction to Williamson's platform, I've assembled an article of 24 quotes with additional links you can explore. If you want additional ways to explore her candidacy, we've curated a playlist you can listen to and share.
What are you trying to figure out these days?
Feel free to hit reply and let me know.
In solidarity,
Rayner
