🌿 How to be(come) an agent of change - Identifying a promising question

I define an agent of change as someone willing — and eventually able — to bring innovation and transformation into complex systems.

I consider myself to be an agent of change.

Right now, my focus is on transforming our health and care systems by overcoming the socio-technical barriers that prevent us from generating real-world evidence at scale.

Because I truly believe: #datasaveslives.

Over the past decade of working toward this mission, I’ve learned a lot.

Some lessons were beautiful.

Some were painful.

They’re lessons I wish I’d known earlier.

And that’s why I’m sharing them here — hoping they’ll inspire you, fellow agent of change, or help awaken the agent of change within you.

✨ The first insight I want to share is how to turn idealism into action by identifying a promising question — a way to begin, even when the world’s problems feel too big.

Because as an idealist, I get triggered easily and by many things.

By injustice.

By inefficiency.

By human suffering.

And there’s a lot of that in the world.

My neighbor, overwhelmed by life.

The war in Ukraine.

The rising intolerance toward LGBTQ+ people.

The fact that there’s only one wheelchair-accessible toilet in the entire university.

I feel these things deeply.

And I want to do something.

I want to help. To fix. To contribute.

But the truth is:There are more problems in the world than I will ever be able to solve.

And that feels… overwhelming.

Do you recognize that feeling?

✨ One of the most transformative insights I’ve had is this: Identify a promising question.

Not just any question.

A hopeful, focused, actionable question.

“If you can’t fix everything — where can you start?”

Let me explain.

Step 1: Find a promising question

It’s easier to explain by showing what not to ask.

Imagine: I’m deeply affected by the pain I see around me.

And I ask myself:“What needs to happen for all the sadness in the world to disappear?”

It’s a beautiful question.

But it’s too big.

Too overwhelming.

It quickly leads to hopelessness.

That’s why step 1 is: make the question smaller, more focused, more promising.

👉 Limit it in time. Instead of “What needs to happen for all the sadness in the world to disappear?”, ask: “What needs to happen today…?” (or this week, this month, this year)

👉 Limit it in space. Instead of “the world”, ask about “my street”.“What needs to happen today for the sadness in my street to ease?”

👉 Limit it in topic. Instead of “all sadness”, ask about a specific kind of sadness.For example:“What needs to happen today to ease the sadness caused by loneliness in my street?”

👉 Focus on what you can do yourself. Not what others, the government, or “people in general” should do.“What can I do today to help someone in my street feel less lonely?”

👉 Make it even more doable: Not “many people,” but “at least one person.”Not “forever,” but “for at least one moment.”

My question eventually becomes: “What can I do today to help at least one person in my street feel connected to me — even if only for one minute?”

Do you feel the difference?

This is a question I can actually work with.

Step 2: Brainstorm

And then comes the magic: Brainstorm as wildly and openly as you can.

No judging.

No filtering.

Just write down every idea.

For example, I could:

• Put up a sidewalk sign with a beautiful quote or question

• Leave a note in someone’s mailbox with a kind message

• Invite a neighbor for coffee

• Post an uplifting message in the neighborhood app

• Leave flowers at someone’s door

The goal: as many ideas as possible. 

Not “the perfect idea” — yet.

Step 3: Choose the best option

Only after brainstorming: select.

What feels doable?

What fits your time, energy, boundaries?

In my case:

I chose the sidewalk sign.

Why? 

✅ It doesn’t take much time 

✅ It fits my introverted nature 

✅ I love collecting beautiful quotes 

✅ It can reach more than one person 

✅ It brings me joy

Step 4: Just do it

And then… simply do it.

I bought the sign.

I selected my first quote.

I wrote it down.

I placed the sign outside.

And enjoyed the quiet satisfaction: I did something.

Something small.

But something that counts.

So in summary

Dear Idealist

If you ever feel overwhelmed…I

f you’re unsure where to begin…

Start here:

Find a promising question.

And from there: identify your first most promising step.

One action.

One ripple.

Because real change?It rarely starts with a perfect plan.I

t often starts with a question.

And the courage to try an answer.