Inspiring Message: Work Worth Doing by Julia Figliotti

Julia Figliotti is a writer, musician, and crafter living in Western New York with her husband and their four pets. When she’s not writing Checklist actions to support aspiring Americans or co-leading the social media team, Julia likes to spend her time knitting, singing with her band, or watching football. Go Bills!

I don’t usually make resolutions for the New Year. It always felt a little trite to put so much stock into the changing of the calendar, because really we’re just keeping on and trying to be well and do good. (Side note: it’s entirely possible this perspective is just bandwagon aversion, because setting goals with a measurable start date to mark progress by is a great way to empower accountability and follow-through.)

But I’ve been feeling a little lost these past couple years, with the pandemic and my own personal life changes, and lots of regular actions have felt more and more like work each day. So I stopped doing so much.

Take AoCC, for instance. With each Checklist, I’d write my actions, make requested edits, read and chat about the Good News (my favorite part), and mark my tasks complete—and then when the email arrived in my inbox a few days later, I just… didn’t open it. (Sorry for skewing the data, Jen ♥)

So a couple weeks ago, shortly after the New Year landed, I made my first honest-to-goodness resolution in probably a decade: I resolved to complete every action in every 2023 Checklist. And I’m proud to say, I am officially 1 for 1. Bring on the next.

It feels like a lot. It’s going to be a lot. But if it’s a lot for me, that means it’s a lot of compassionate, productive energy that I’m directing toward our nation, our neighbors, and our planet.

I know that I set an absolutely achievable goal thanks to that sweet, sweet AoCC script formula and the handy checkboxes (which my completionist brain can’t wait to click after finishing each action). And I feel a cozy sense of rightness, knowing I’m directly contributing to the success of my objective through of the work I do with my fellow volunteers to produce each Checklist.

Because engagement is work. Sometimes, it’s hard work. Sometimes it’s joyful work. Sometimes it’s energizing work, sometimes it’s draining. But it is work worth doing, and I’m honored to be doing it with you fine people.

See you in the Checklist!