Order begets order. And, sadly, order takes energy to maintain, because without energy, things tend towards chaos.
And chaos, wherever it exists - in the field, in the shop, in the office - can be overwhelming. You can't get on top of everything all at once, so you don't get on top of anything. And because the chaos surrounds any small bit of order you do carve out... well, chaos is always nipping at order's edges, and small bits of order have more edges than large bits of order, and things tend to fall apart.
Unfortunately, chaos doesn't just exist without energy. It sucks energy out of the everything that has to interact with it. Weedy fields take more energy to harvest, more water to irrigate, and more inputs to fertilize. Chaotic shops make it hard to find tools when you need them, to maintain equipment so that it doesn't break down, and to fix stuff quickly when it breaks. Disorganized papers and messy desks make it hard to access needed information and track important commitments (like bills).
And they all create resistance. Clean, orderly spaces and systems invite us in and invite others to participate; messy spaces do just the opposite.
My recipe for dealing with chaos? Carve out some order. Get one space, however small, that feels good - that invites you to participate - and ignore the rest for the moment. Weedy fields? Get one bed cleaned up, really well, and commit to keeping it clean. Chaotic shop? Clear off one workbench. Throw the tools and hardware spread across it into a bucket - it's no worse then having them spread across the workbench. Disorganized office? Clear out one file drawer (put it all in a box, if you have to), buy some file folders, and start using them. Get a little success. Let it feel good. And work your way out from there.
And chaos, wherever it exists - in the field, in the shop, in the office - can be overwhelming. You can't get on top of everything all at once, so you don't get on top of anything. And because the chaos surrounds any small bit of order you do carve out... well, chaos is always nipping at order's edges, and small bits of order have more edges than large bits of order, and things tend to fall apart.
Unfortunately, chaos doesn't just exist without energy. It sucks energy out of the everything that has to interact with it. Weedy fields take more energy to harvest, more water to irrigate, and more inputs to fertilize. Chaotic shops make it hard to find tools when you need them, to maintain equipment so that it doesn't break down, and to fix stuff quickly when it breaks. Disorganized papers and messy desks make it hard to access needed information and track important commitments (like bills).
And they all create resistance. Clean, orderly spaces and systems invite us in and invite others to participate; messy spaces do just the opposite.
My recipe for dealing with chaos? Carve out some order. Get one space, however small, that feels good - that invites you to participate - and ignore the rest for the moment. Weedy fields? Get one bed cleaned up, really well, and commit to keeping it clean. Chaotic shop? Clear off one workbench. Throw the tools and hardware spread across it into a bucket - it's no worse then having them spread across the workbench. Disorganized office? Clear out one file drawer (put it all in a box, if you have to), buy some file folders, and start using them. Get a little success. Let it feel good. And work your way out from there.
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