Are you a political activist, volunteer, candidate, or concerned citizen who simply hopes that your vote will help to create positive change? Are you seeking to balance personal quality of life and impact during turbulent political times?

As the 2008 U.S. elections approach, the tension builds. Not much time is left, and various media messages shower down upon us. The schedules of professional and volunteer activists go into overdrive.

However, while our attention is largely focused on external factors like how many people we’re reaching, how many people we’re getting involved in the political process, and what candidates are saying, it’s vital to look inward. If we wish to be as effective as possible, and if we wish to obtain the long-term results we truly want, keeping ourselves grounded during turbulent times is key. This requires courageous self-honesty in several areas.

1. Have we identified and prioritized what we really value the most in our lives? This enables us to select the career and volunteer activities that will bring us happiness and positive influence. It enables us to discuss social and political issues on a deeper level, beyond labels like political party. We’ll be less likely to face burnout, and will learn more from others as we relate to them. Our values also guide us in creating powerful visions, discussed next.

2. Have we defined visions, or vivid descriptions of end results we wish to create in our life and in the world? Knowing our destination helps us determine whether we’re taking the proper actions and heading in the desired direction. Visions help us to attract other people and resources to our cause, and to see how our personal ambitions mesh with the world we wish to create. This reduces the sense that we always need to sacrifice our personal happiness for the well-being of the larger world, or vice-versa.

3. Are we in touch with our strengths, and are we engaging ourselves (or others) in a way that leverages them? Our strengths help us determine how we may most effectively work toward our visions for a better world. For example, if I’m a gifted public speaker, I’m probably not having maximum impact if I spend all of my volunteer time stuffing envelopes.

4. Are we reacting from a place of fear, or are we proactively driven by a vision of the world we want? If acting out of fear, we may be manipulated easily, and we’ll simply create drama for others. If we’ve taken the time to clarify the results we wish to help achieve, we’ll have an easier time focusing on what’s important and generating alternate strategies during adversity. For example, will we allow reactions to rising gas prices to completely distract from a longer-term focus on environmental sustainability?

5. Are we in touch with our prejudices? If not, unaddressed attitudes and fears can distract us from the values and issues that are really important to us. Prejudices can keep us detached from people who look, think or act differently than we do, and disconnected from diverse ideas that could increase our effectiveness. The world is very diverse, and the more our own social circles reflect that, the more impactful we may be.

6. Are we aware of our own “holier than thou” attitudes and needs to appear politically correct? I’ve observed these common issues among well-intentioned groups of people who are passionately driven by strong values and causes. If we’re not careful, we may reactively divide ourselves over small differences. A previous article covers this in much greater depth, as do Naked Idealism segments such as the controversial “PC Shoulds” quiz.

7. Are we really, truly listening to other people, treating them as equal human beings and meeting them where they are? Or are we just trying to get our own point across and viewing others as objects - mere obstacles to the world we want? If we put people on the defensive, they have little incentive to hear anything we’re saying.

8. Are we carving out time amidst the hustle and bustle to recharge and have fun? As is often said, we have much more to give others when our own cups are full. We can’t forget about our hobbies, and we can’t forget that a large world exists outside of the social and geographic circles in which much of our work, volunteer and play time may overlap. While others may demand great things of us, it’s our own responsibility to give ourselves the occasional much-needed break. In taking the initiative to do this, we may give others permission to do the same, and we will likely return with renewed energy and perspective.

Best wishes in your efforts to create positive change in the world!

Please see free excerpts from Naked Idealism, which addresses the above topics in greater depth and includes a range of exercises and tools.

Dave Wheitner is a Pittsburgh, PA strategic life coach with backgrounds in public policy/management, psychology, counseling and life coaching. He welcomes phone-based clients from around the world.