One of my favorite exercises is to write a “Manifesto.” No matter what subject I study, I find it helpful to try to distill my ideas into succinct statements of the most important principles.
For instance, I’ve done a Happiness Manifesto, a Habits Manifesto, and a Podcast Manifesto.
It’s a fun, creative, and clarifying process.
So of course as I was writing my new book Outer Order, Inner Calm, I wanted to write an accompanying manifesto. As with all my manifestos, this one is aspirational—it’s not necessarily what I do, it’s what I try to do.
Agree, disagree? Did I miss anything important?
- Outer order contributes to inner calm.
- Without delay is the easiest way.
- Something that can be done at any time is often done at no time.
- It’s easier to keep up than to catch up.
- When in doubt, toss it out—or recycle it, or give it away.
- Remind yourself: I have plenty of room for the things that are important to me.
- If you can’t retrieve it, you won’t use it.
- One of the worst uses of time is to do something well that need not be done at all.
- Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself.
- What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.
- Creating outer order isn’t a matter of having less, or having more; it’s a matter of wanting what you have.
- Things often get messier before they get tidier.
- Store things at the store.
- Little by little, you can get a lot accomplished.
- Nothing is more exhausting than the task that is never started.
- There’s no one “right” way to create and maintain order.
- Clutter attracts clutter.
- The days are long, but the years are short.
