It’s now been a couple of weeks into my new rule set for Spaceship Me, and I’m seeing some good results. Having rules has helped nudge me in the right direction; although one challenge I’ve struggled to shake is shifting out of the recreation station.
Rules to Rise
I’m a big fan of this quote by author James Clear, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
In his bestselling book Atomic Habits, where the quote is found, Clear discusses four laws to making a habit stick:
- Make the habit obvious.
- Make the habit attractive.
- Make the habit easy.
- Make the habit satisfying.
Rules and systems are a way to abide by the third law. These constraints are often the simplest way to eliminate friction and create the focus we need to establish habits and arrive at our goals.
Creating a simple set of rules has helped me to rebuild a withering workout routine and manage to fall asleep when I am ready for bed. I haven’t quite reached the goals I set last week, but I’m definitely trending in the right direction thanks to these new rules.
What About Work?
While I’m making progress in a few areas, I’m still challenged to find the focus I want during my work day. Some days have been successful, but at the beginning of this week I struggled especially to stay on task and avoid distractions. I don’t know if the problem was coming off the long weekend or if some expected technical issues threw a wrench in my focus, but I found myself ineffectively working at the entertainment station while listening to some personal finance podcasts and speeches.
I am confident that if I move myself physically to the work station, I’d find the focus I desire with the rules I have in place. Sitting here writing this, I find it easier to get back to work when I find my attention slipping.
In an attempt to address this problem, I’m going to add another rule and see how it shakes out. Not moving my desk chair from the work station when taking breaks should limit the time spent. First off, it will be a nice change of pace to stand more throughout the day, as my standing “desk” hasn’t been used as often as it should be. More importantly, seeing the chair still parked at the work station will remind me what I’m supposed to be doing at that moment.
Next week, I’ll be diving into more specifics on the setup of each station and how I use them.
Trying Out Before Buying In 