According to whoever creates informal holidays, today is Quitter’s Day. Research shows that, by the second Friday in January, many of us abandon our new year’s resolutions. More often than not, the root cause of this phenomenon is unsustainable goals. 

We see this happen in our social justice spaces, too. We want to take meaningful action. This is good! The issue lies in how we plan that action. In their book Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown reflects on her experience as an activist, recalling the countless times that burnout, spite, individualism, and white supremacy culture inhibited her ability to do justice work. Instead of taking on a bootstraps mindset, brown encourages us to re-think our idea of justice work. What if, instead, we understood that the transformation we seek may actually emerge from our own inner spiritual work? What if we trusted each other, modeled imperfection, set boundaries, and allowed ourselves to truly “turn off” every now and then?

Interdependence is a UU value found in Article II of the UUA bylaws. By acknowledging our place in the interconnected web of existence, we acknowledge that we need each other. Our relationship with ourselves affects our relationships with other people, the sacred, and the Earth. 

In 2025, UUMFE invites our beloved community to make sustainable goals that work toward a sustainable future for our Earth. Small actions every day add up. So, here is an action item for all of us this week.

Reflect on your goals for climate justice and the UU value of interdependence. Think about your “why”, your support system, and your personal UU faith. This week, take one small action of self-care, one small action of community care, and one small action of Earth care. And we mean it: SMALL. Remember, our focus is on sustainable action.

We’d love to hear what you come up with!