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10 small steps toward a better community that don’t require permission

ByBecky McCray

You’d like to do more for your small town or rural community, but you’re held back by at least a couple of things:

  • you don’t have time to do something important and meaningful, and
  • you aren’t sure whose permission you would need or how to go about getting it.

You don’t actually need either of those. Small steps can be meaningful and usually don’t require permission. That’s why Deb and I say:

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission.

Here are 10 meaningful small steps that don’t cost much, don’t need permission and are important to your community.

  1. Hang out downtown, in the park, in plazas and pocket parks. Take a book or a snack. Invite friends. Have conversations. 
  2. Spend more time in your front yard and on your front porch.
  3. Take pictures of things you like in your town and share them online.
  4. Start a rock hunt. Find some small rocks, paint them and hide them outdoors downtown. Make a hashtag or online group so people can post photos when they find them. 
  5. Sweep your own sidewalk. 
  6. Carry a small trash bag when you walk or run to pick up trash. 
  7. Create chalk art on sidewalks, bare walls, and retaining walls.
  8. Tell a traditional story or ghost story to young people. 
  9. Add positivity to online groups. Volunteer to moderate comments. 
  10. Make a “What to do in (town)” Pinterest board. 

Need more ideas for meaningful small steps? Deb and I made a list of over 100 ideas, and you can find it at smallbizsurvival.com/99

Which one will you do right away? Can you text a friend to join you?

Keep shaping the future of your town,

Becky