Conscious Use of Resources
Acting with awareness of the planet's limited natural resources, prioritizing conservation, regeneration, and frugality to avoid harmful consumption.
Micro-VCoL Exercises
Below are three exercises for developing conscious use of resources. Choose one to focus on for at least a week before trying another.
Exercise 1: The Resource Awareness
Develop awareness of the resources you use, making consumption visible rather than automatic.
Practice when using materials, energy, time, or other resources. Notice everyday consumption that normally happens below awareness.
Periodically during the day, pause and notice: "What resources am I using right now?" Consider energy, materials, time, attention. Simply bring awareness to consumption that is normally invisible.
What consumption became visible that you normally would not notice? Did awareness affect any of your choices? What resources do you use most unconsciously?
Exercise 2: The Necessity Question
Before consuming or using resources, pause to ask whether this use is necessary and whether there is a less resource-intensive alternative.
Practice before printing, ordering, travelling, purchasing, or other resource use. Use it especially for decisions that have become automatic.
Before using a resource, pause briefly. Ask: "Is this necessary? Is there an alternative that uses fewer resources?" Consider: Could this be done differently? At smaller scale? Does it need to be done at all?
What resource use did you question today? Did you find alternatives? What habitual consumption is hardest to question?
Exercise 3: The Enough Question
Before acquiring or using more, pause to ask whether what you have is already enough.
Practice before purchasing, ordering, scheduling, or acquiring more of anything: supplies, meetings, features, options, or information.
When you are about to acquire or add more, pause and ask: "Is what we have enough?" Consider: Do we need this, or do we want it? Could we accomplish our purpose with what we already have?
When did you ask the enough question today? What did you discover? Were there cases where what you had was indeed enough? What drives the impulse to acquire more?