Habits - Clean Your Room, Make Your Bed, Mom Was Right
It's been four years since I read James Clear's wonderful book, Atomic Habits.
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
One of my favorite quotes from his book is this one: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there."
Brilliant.
Simple.
Powerful.
It's worthwhile to periodically, even regularly, examine one's systems or structures. We all have them. Even the ones that don't serve us (maybe especially the ones that don't serve us!) need regular inspection.
I remember this observation from James' book so well probably because it is the story of my life. When I succeed, I tend to have some structure in place to support whatever activity. (James' book also inspired me to look into Bullet Journaling and I'm on my 3rd year of that structure/system. It has helped considerably. No more 5 or 6 different little notebooks laying around trying to keep me on track).
[Find out about Ryder Carroll's Bullet Journal book here: https://bulletjournal.com/pages/book
My favorite bullet journal. The Wildlife collection by Dingbats, vegan and just perfect for BuJo systems. https://us.dingbats-notebooks.com/collections/all-notebooks ].
It can be intimidating to think of putting a system or structure in place until one stops to consider that even making the bed in the morning is a micro-system. You may have seen the wonderful speech by Admiral William McRaven about the importance of making your bed. If not, here you go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFwRkl-TTc .
I remember trying to argue with my mom as a young girl about making the bed...."but I'm just going to mess it up tonight!" I think she countered with something like, "but it will be nice and ready for you when you go to bed", or maybe she even said it keeps the monsters away, I don't know, but I know that my life has been lived mainly as a bed-maker and that I raised my boys to be that way too....and now my grand-daughter makes hers when she spends the night, without being told.
Last time she was here, she set about cleaning her room too, organizing and putting away things.
Without being told. And why? Because an 11 year old can see the value in having space in which to create and recreate, can sense the value of having a system, even without the jargon to explain it.
There is a simplicity in getting going on a good start for the day, a moment where before everything else tears us away in 20 directions, we decide, yes, Mom, you were right....and here I am making the bed.
That simple task can help set the mood for the day that I can set my mind, and go forth and accomplish. If I can make my bed, what else can I do, because after all, most things are comprised of (relatively) simple steps.
Making the bed and other things, in Ohio.
Sue
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
One of my favorite quotes from his book is this one: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there."
Brilliant.
Simple.
Powerful.
It's worthwhile to periodically, even regularly, examine one's systems or structures. We all have them. Even the ones that don't serve us (maybe especially the ones that don't serve us!) need regular inspection.
I remember this observation from James' book so well probably because it is the story of my life. When I succeed, I tend to have some structure in place to support whatever activity. (James' book also inspired me to look into Bullet Journaling and I'm on my 3rd year of that structure/system. It has helped considerably. No more 5 or 6 different little notebooks laying around trying to keep me on track).
[Find out about Ryder Carroll's Bullet Journal book here: https://bulletjournal.com/pages/book
My favorite bullet journal. The Wildlife collection by Dingbats, vegan and just perfect for BuJo systems. https://us.dingbats-notebooks.com/collections/all-notebooks ].
It can be intimidating to think of putting a system or structure in place until one stops to consider that even making the bed in the morning is a micro-system. You may have seen the wonderful speech by Admiral William McRaven about the importance of making your bed. If not, here you go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFwRkl-TTc .
I remember trying to argue with my mom as a young girl about making the bed...."but I'm just going to mess it up tonight!" I think she countered with something like, "but it will be nice and ready for you when you go to bed", or maybe she even said it keeps the monsters away, I don't know, but I know that my life has been lived mainly as a bed-maker and that I raised my boys to be that way too....and now my grand-daughter makes hers when she spends the night, without being told.
Last time she was here, she set about cleaning her room too, organizing and putting away things.
Without being told. And why? Because an 11 year old can see the value in having space in which to create and recreate, can sense the value of having a system, even without the jargon to explain it.
There is a simplicity in getting going on a good start for the day, a moment where before everything else tears us away in 20 directions, we decide, yes, Mom, you were right....and here I am making the bed.
That simple task can help set the mood for the day that I can set my mind, and go forth and accomplish. If I can make my bed, what else can I do, because after all, most things are comprised of (relatively) simple steps.
Making the bed and other things, in Ohio.
Sue
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