Making order in the house reminds me that I need to make order in my life. Why do we have this old piece of junk? Where does that belong? Some things we keep out of fear that one day we might need it. Most things we’ve kept because it’s easier to stuff it somewhere than to give it thought.
When we want to clear away space, we start giving attention to what use we’re getting out of our things. We’re motivated by the need to simplify our lives. The mind is uncluttered when there’s no physical clutter.
In the process of cleaning we’re forced to ask about each item: What is this good for? Do I need it or not? Have I been using it? How has it served me?
It’s almost like starting from scratch to set up house. Pretend I don’t have this. – Would I want to buy it? Where should I keep it so that it will be most convenient and I’ll know exactly where to find it? It could be that I ought to throw this away and buy something new instead or it could be that I don’t want to buy something new and this one is adequate for my needs.
Habits can be looked at the same way. Which habits are worth keeping and which should be tossed away? Does this habit serve me? What is it good for? Does it reflect who I am? Does it bring me closer to who I want to be?
Habits, like old junk in the house are a good commodity. They’re just there, .like old friends. They take up space in a comfortable way. What’s fixed in place as routine makes life easier. No energy needs to be wasted over deliberating whether or not they’re useful or not. I don’t have to think twice about whether or not I’m going to brush my teeth. That decision has been made long ago.
But every so often it pays to pick up a habit in hand and scrutinize it as if it’s new. Pretend we’ve never practiced this before. Is it worthwhile making a space for it in my day? Should I toss it out? What new habits are worth acquiring?
Habits, like household furniture need to be chosen carefully. Whether they’re old or new, give them thought. Is this useful to me?