Rising From Ruins: "How Do You Clean Up a Big Mess?"
German history has given me an unshakeable faith that things can get better.
Hi friend,
A few years ago, I talked to a friend whose country was going through a severe crisis.
This friend of mine, let's call him Anthony, was pretty desperate about the changes that were happening. Even if the political situation were to change, he wondered how his country could get back on its feet and return to a semblance of order.
Being German, I knew in my bones that it's possible to overcome collective problems that are far, far greater than anything that Anthony's country was facing.
Lessons from German history
After World War 2, Germany was a — morally, politically, physically, emotionally, spiritually — shattered wasteland. (Ironically, nationalistic leaders are the absolute worst for their own nation, too.)
Imagine being a German who opposed Hitler — and then seeing friends turn to monsters, Jewish neighbors “disappear” without a trace, your city bombed to pieces, your sons killed in a senseless war, your daughters raped by the incoming Red Army, your “country” (well, what is left of it) surrender unconditionally …
… and once that is finally over, trying not to starve to death while attempting to carry on with your life, process intense grief, rebuild a collective that has been broken beyond repair, come to terms with the fact that people you know happily went along with unimaginable acts, …
… all while bearing the moral blame for horrible atrocities you never supported in the first place. (Oh, and because you are a good person, you actually feel all the collective pain and suffering and guilt and shame very deeply.)
It’s hard to over-estimate just how broken the land, and its people, were. But here’s the thing: the human spirit itself is unbreakable.
One of the unexpected gifts of our history is that it has given me an unshakeable faith that things can get better.
I shared that sentiment with my friend, who was struggling with what his country was going through.
“How do you clean up a big mess?”
At some point during our conversation, Anthony asked: "How do you clean up a big mess?" It was a poignant question, one that I didn't have an answer for at that time.
When our conversation was over, I went upstairs and noticed how messy the bathroom looked. A year before, I had gone through a minimalism challenge which had made everything look very tidy... but it certainly didn't look that way anymore.
I had been riding on the success of my decluttering for too long, instead of doing something to keep it up. I sighed and sat down, determined to fix things. Automatically, I reached for one cabinet, dumped out the entire content and filed through it.
As I sat between different bottles, lotions, and containers of floss (seriously, where did all that floss come from?) the answer to my friend's question suddenly occurred to me.
The danger:
When people are faced with a huge mess, they often think they have to tackle everything at once. While humans seem to be intuitively drawn to that thinking, it's an unstrategic way to approach a massive challenge.
Most often, when a person tries to handle everything at once, the result is that nothing gets improved.
The solution:
Let's take a look at what some of the greatest strategists, such as Machiavelli, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon recommend.
If that list of people makes you nervous, don't worry (there's a reason I named my website Leader for Good, not "Welcome to the Dark Side").
We're just adopting these people's strategic approach, not their politics. Also, you might be happy to know that philosopher Immanuel Kant was a proponent of this strategy (perhaps I should have led with that?).
💡 While sitting on the bathroom floor, I found the answer to my friend's question: "How do you clean up a big mess?" 💡
"One step at a time."
Or, let’s use some Latin to make it sound more impressive:
"divide and impera"
("divide and conquer").
Because here's the thing: If I had tried to tidy up my entire house at once, I would have created an even bigger mess. By breaking the task down into one small, doable chunk at a time, I was able to make quick progress.
You don't clean up a big mess, like the one Anthony was alluding to, in one go. You do it one step at a time.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Post-war Germany wasn't rebuilt into a democratic country overnight.
But it all started one day. Take heart and know that things can get better.
Warmly,
Louise
P.S.: Extras!
I have two extras for you:
One is an anthem for rising from ruins. It’s all about “uniting and thriving.”
The other is a 4-step process for applying the “divide and conquer”-strategy to your own life.
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Bonus 1: An anthem for rising from ruins
The German Democratic Republic had one of the most beautiful national anthems ever, with the poignant name “Risen from ruins.”
It talks about rebuilding, unity, happiness, the importance of learning, trusting one’s own strength, the light of peace and a world where no mother has to ever mourn her son again. And, well, sunshine.
In other words, it talks about the world we really want.
If you are struggling with what your country is going through and could use some positivity, try playing this anthem, and mentally replace “Germany” with the name of your country.
Bonus 2: A 4-step process for improving your personal life
➡️ If you want to apply the "divide and conquer" strategy in your own life, here's an overview.
🤗 I'm also available for coaching if you want personal help.
1. Pick the general area you want to improve
If there's more than one area, pick the one that would make the biggest positive difference in your life if it got fixed.
Example: "Hmm, so my creative life and hobbies have fallen apart recently, so I'd like to get back on track with spending time on that. But more importantly, I've fallen behind when it comes to my job-related task. If I got caught up on them, I could finish working earlier most days, which should also give me more time for my hobbies. So, I will begin to work on those."
In the personal example I shared, the general area was the home.
2. Pick a goal for that area
Now translate the desired change into your chosen area into a larger goal. (If you find it challenging to come up with a goal, start with what you don't want and then use the opposite of that as your goal, like I describe in this article.)
Example: "I want to be successful in my job."
In the personal example I shared, my goal was: "I want my house to look tidy."
3. Pick a small change you can start working on right now that will get you closer to your goal
It's important that you pick a change that is small enough to be started right now, and completed within the same day. If your change is too big, break it down until you get to a step that's doable right now.
When formulating your statement, follow this format: "I will____(insert small step), starting right now."
Example: "Hmm, so I thought about finishing the project I've been working on for so long but there's no way I can finish that today. So, let's see, what would be a smaller change? Oh yes, organizing my projects. I will create a list with all the projects I'm working on so that I have an overview, starting right now."
In the personal example I shared, the small change I went with was: "I will tidy up one cabinet, starting right now."
4. Rinse and repeat until the mess is fixed
After completing the last step, you should feel a sense of momentum. Now, all you need to do is to go back to pick another small step that gets you closer to your goal.