CREATE WORLD-CHANGING HABITS WITH COFFEE

People talk way too much about all the reasons not to drink coffee.

But what about all the reasons to drink coffee? And what if we used this drink we love to create a better planet? At Blackstar we’ve been brainstorming this very idea, and we think we’re onto something.

We’re talking about habits. Little habits that can make a big difference.

Sometimes, living sustainably can feel like a pipedream.

Most of us would love to be more sustainable, but when our habits don’t stick, it’s easy to just turn on netflix, and forget we ever tried building a veggie garden. Good thing is, you’re not alone, and luckily there’s a ton of research out there that teaches us how to become the people we want to be.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, believes the only way to become a better you is to practice a better you. Simply put: you are your habits. He says, ‘every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become.’

So the next question becomes: Who do you want to be? Do you really want to be the kind of person that helps the planet thrive? The habits you set up today will turn you into that person.

So how do we set up healthy habits? At Blackstar & Coffee For Trees, we figured out the hack. You’ve already guessed it. It’s coffee.

You can use your coffee-drinking to create a better world. Here’s how:

Pair your habits. James Clear makes it quite clear. Pun intended.

Pairing habits is a classic way to make it stick. Simply put, if you want to create a new habit, you pair it with one you’ve already established. Want to live a greener life? Pair it with coffee.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ve already got two perks up your sleeve. First, your brain has a deep neural-pathway dedicated to drinking coffee, which means, it’s already a strong and automatic habit. For instance, you get up and boil the kettle without thinking twice. Second, your brain has a strong positive association to drinking coffee; it helps you get through the day and it’s so just so damn delicious.

Here’s the trick. You want to live a greener life and want to learn more about the climate crisis? Read about it over your morning coffee every day. Maybe a news article like this with your long black. Or, sit back, relax, and put on a ted talk, or podcast like Think: Sustainability on your way to work. As you sip your espresso on your commute, your mind will start associating the act of learning about climate change to the taste of coffee, and will begin to make that positive association with that act of learning.

Another idea: Have you ever started a veggie garden but always forgot to water and harvest your veggies regularly? Pair your familiar coffee habit with watering and harvesting your garden. Enjoy the sunshine, take in mother-nature, and stay outside until your coffee is done.

Even better, create these habits with sustainable coffee that you know is changing the world out there already.

There are tons of examples we can use, but it all boils down to the same thing: You can use your love for coffee to create world-changing habits. You can use your daily craving for coffee to propel you forwards into a sustainable life, and the more you create a greener life, the more you become part of the movement of restoring the planet.

Which new habit can make your life greener? Pick one, and try this hack out for yourself. 

Take a step towards using your love for coffee to love the planet.