My Understanding of Karma
My understanding of the word comes from my own experiences of life and teachings of the same from Sadhguru.
The meaning of the word 'Karma' is basically just 'action'. Although that definition barely expresses what the term is all about. The popular way to look at the word is in a relational context, where it is used in the same understanding as the phrase "you sow what you reap".
Let us look at the word in the context which it was original talked of in. In the Indian yogic lore, there is a popular phrase. A teaching. "My life is my Karma". We said Karma means action. So the phrase translates to "My life is my action". You see, we can only act in the present. Past and future can be thought of as activities of our nervous system, but that activity too happens in the present. But as we find, what we do today, is easier to do tomorrow. We can call it muscle memory or skill or just habits. But it is a certain favoritism towards doing something simply because you did that same thing yesterday. If you take a step today, it is easier to do the same tomorrow, and day after it.
Let us take a mechanical example. Let's say there is a new driver. He didn't pay attention to the driving classes, and for the rest of the years to come he would change the gears of his car without pressing the clutch fully. Now, way sooner than the machine is built to last, he will find it malfunctioning. Then he may curse the brand or car or the driving school. He may blame everyone except himself, because of how long it has been since the mistake began.
"My life is my Karma" implies even if you cannot find the cause, it was you. Not in the social context - you don't need to "repent" for anything - but in an experiential context. It is not about good or bad action, because bad action is only realized retrospectively. Karma is only about 'complete' action. As in, you do all you can do, all the time, in the broadest possible manner you can conceive of.
Today, no political leader on the planet seemingly cares about solving any of the problems 'for good'. There is always someone to blame for anything that goes wrong. This party or that party. Cancel culture is looming around as well. Because you cannot make a "group of people" take responsibility, if each individual isn't doing so. Which is why "My life is my Karma" forms the crux of pretty much all of the problems. Of course, it will branch into various understandings depending on the humans who encounter it and use it in various contexts, but this to me, seems to be the crux of it all. "My life is my Karma" - where the individual takes responsibility for all that is and isn't. And suddenly we find, evolution resumes.