“Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life.”
Gretchen Rubin
I read an interesting story from Atomic Habits, written by my favorite author, James Clear. It was the story of Oswald Nuckols, an IT expert who adopts a proactive approach to creating and maintaining good habits in his life.
By this approach, he proactively does what is necessary to put things in order, in his life, every day. He makes smart choices in seemingly inconsequential things. And by doing so in advance, he keeps his life organized, his environment tidy and his performance on high gear.
For example: when he finishes watching TV, he immediately puts the remote on the TV shelf, and when he leaves his car, he throws away every trash.
To a casual eye, that wouldn’t appear to have any special value. But if you pause to think about the pervasive impact of such a conscious pattern of behavior over the long haul, you will realize its full potential.
Meanwhile, the real power in this approach is less about tidying up after the last time but more about an advance preparation for the next one. In other words, doing the right thing now is the best preparation we can ever make for the future.
On how we can live our lives with greater effectiveness, B. J. Fogg, the author of ‘Tiny Habits’ says you should: “Design your life to minimize reliance on willpower.”
You see, when we design a thing for its intended purpose, we are priming it for its maximum benefit. This logic applies not only to things, but also to our lives.
Good designs precede good and easy functionality in almost any area of life or system. No wonder, Darren Hardy, the author of Compound Effect says this on the power of making smart choices and living a life of order. In his own words:
“A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else. A routine is exceptionally powerful.”
Finally, know that when you choose to be truly proactive in making consistent, smart choices on how you manage your affairs, you can form really great habits that will serve you well for the rest of your life.
