This is about activation energy, and doing what you want.
Everyone wants to do a lot of things. This year I decided to do more art. I want to hand letter the quotes and words I love. So I created a space on my bookshelf for art supplies, in plain sight. Easy access.
Then my art supplies got covered by one million pieces of paper. My designated art spot became a catch-all for loose papers. It became easy access for my working notes and projects, because there was nowhere else to horizontally stack the papers I need too often to file. My art supplies quickly became out of sight, out of mind. I had to make some storage system changes.
I had the right idea and wrong execution. Do you want to do something? Start a new habit or activity?
Put your new thing in plain sight: create an honored, accessible, visible place to put what you need for your project. Maybe it’s in your kitchen, living room, or office. I created a section on my shelf just for art supplies, which ended up being overtaken by work notes. To change this situation, I created a second spot for work notes. Give a place of honor to your new project so you see it and are reminded that it’s important to you.
Lower the activation energy: put the art supplies by your bed if you want to do the project in the morning. Put them on the kitchen table if that’s your workplace. If you tend towards TV, put them on the couch and hide your remote. Make it easy for your Future Self (your this-afternoon-or-evening self) to pick up the project and do it. Do you need a certain playlist? Reference books? Colored pencils? Whatever it is, set up your supplies now so it’s almost effortless for your future self to get to work.
New habits take time and discipline to adopt. Make it as easy as possible on yourself by lowering the activation energy and putting what you need in plain site.
(photos by Eva Jannotta)
