After spending several months on a campaign, I now look back and realize not only how much I miss it but all of the things I didn’t realize that I loved along the way. It can be easy to find yourself fully immersed in something, that something was the campaign for that part of my year. If you know people on campaigns, you probably know that they are either busy 24/7 or that their work is all they can talk or think about. To all my friends, here are 10 reasons why I was this way for so long and would go back in a heartbeat.
1. Campaigns are one of the best steps you can take when you’ve found a candidate or issue you are passionate about.
For many people our age, we have been willing and able to dive right in to current issue that effect the society we are currently living in. Whether it’s from social movements to presidential candidates, it seems that so many people are able to express their passion online or through word of mouth but not so much through action. It is so easy to take action for the issue you care about by joining a campaign in your local community. You can reach out to a volunteer coordinator or find contacts online or social media, I bet that you will here back immediately with more excitement than you ever imagined!
2. You will learn some of the best organizational skills as well as how to be a pro at multi tasking.
If you are a student, you may think that you are already a pro. Let me tell you, by working on a campaign you will learn and do things that you probably never imagined. You will find yourself planning events for 500+ people while at the same time making 1000 phone calls and recruiting 20 volunteers. Depending on your role, it can feel overwhelming in the moment but you look back and be amazed.
3. If you are uneasy about committing or planning long-term, this is the job for you.
The thing about campaigns is that you will never truly know your 5 year plan, sometimes not even 1. If you plan out months ahead, you will find yourself only knowing your schedule for a week or two weeks. You might even find out about an event a week or a couple of days in advance and only have a limited time to be prepared. Depending on what campaign you are working on, you can find yourself only having a few months left. Sometimes, you won’t even know your location for the future until just days or weeks before. If you are unsure about where you want to live or what you want to do, campaigns are a great way to test out the waters.
4. There’s always a place for you, no matter what your level of commitment may be.
Whether you want to be a weekly volunteer or to be a full time organizer, there’s always a place for you. Every campaign wants as much support as possible and just by dedicating a few hours can really help your issue out, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
5. You will always have something to do.
Even if you have done all of your calls for the day or made all of your visits, you will soon realize that there is always something that needs to be done. When you do have free time, there are always people to spend time with and places to go. You will never find yourself finding something to do, you’ll always have a plan b.
6. You will be fully prepared and qualified for any challenge that comes your way.
Being on a campaign includes events, new people and planning. You will be faced with challenges that may seem too difficult to overcome but you will find yourself at the end feeling relieved and hopefully successful. The skills and qualities that you will gain along the way will have any employer impressed.
7. You will want all of your friends and loved ones to be just as excited as you are every step of the way.
When you are passionate about an issue, it’s common to want everyone around you to be just as passionate as you are. Being on a campaign will consume your life and although you may think that everyone understands, it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that your passion for your issue is most likely not as mutual as you think. Make sure that your passion isn’t too overpowering for others and instead make sure you are allowing others to share your passion while also giving them the space the need or want.
8. You’ll find yourself running living and breathing the campaign 24/7-even on your “time off.”
The feeling of “running around like a chicken with your head cut off” will happen at least once a day. The overwhelming feeling of every second of your day being dedicated to the campaign will most definitely happen. You won’t realize it until you are done and looking back but you probably lost sight of having time for yourself. Even when you do make time for yourself, you will catch yourself either wanting to know what’s going on today in the news or wondering about the progress of your campaign. It’ll be a never ending thought process that really only you can understand.
9. You will meet some of the most amazing people and make lifelong friends along the way.
From coworkers to volunteers to representatives to new friends to celebrities, you will meet some of the most incredible people you have ever met. You will find yourself surrounded by some of the most loving and caring people you have ever known. Make sure that when you do encounter these people that you spend as much time as you can with them because in the future you will most likely be spread out across the nation. Here’s a little shout out to all of those that I met along the way!
10. You will miss it when it’s over.
When it’s over, which at some point it will be, you will understand the meaning of fighting for something that you love. You will forever take pride in the time you spent no matter how long it may have been. You will miss the moments you had and look back at all the great memories you made. You will root for issue or candidate and hope for the best. You will wonder about those you met and miss and hope to see them in the future. Overall, you will forever understand what it’s like to be apart of something that is bigger than yourself.
