There are those who make a “to do list” and follow it to the letter, who have an impeccable house, who keep to their schedules… And then there are the rest of us, the mortals. As you well know, living a life of fighting against disorder and pending things is not easy, some of us have been practicing for years. Others have tried to abandon ship and be more organized, but don’t be fooled, they have given in to chaos anyway. Why does this happen? The answer lies in our tendency to take on changes that are too big all at once, and as you have surely already experienced, it paralyzes you before you have even decided to start.
And now, both a psychologist and a graphic designer have proposed a revolutionary approach, it’s called the 1% Rule, and we’re going to tell you what it’s all about below.
Why do we find it so hard to get organized?
From the University of Michigan they explain that the problem lies in the fact that we tend to imagine organization as a monumental task. We think about “becoming an organized person” instead of spending five minutes tidying a drawer. This “all or nothing” mentality causes our task to be delayed indefinitely or even to throw in the towel.
The power of 1%
This rule comes from the influencer Holly Blakey, and explains that when you feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do, forget about making endless lists. Think about doing just 1 thing, something as simple as tidying up cables, sweeping or hanging up clothes. It’s a much more minimalist approach that will feel like a big internal change. The idea is simple: if you do something small today to improve your environment, tomorrow it will be easier for you to continue with another small action.
How can I apply the 1% rule?
As we said, small victories at a time, and the best thing is that this rule not only serves to keep order at home, you can also apply it to other areas, such as work, school and even in your personal life. Little by little you will see how small victory after small victory ends up becoming a big noticeable change.
How does it work psychologically?
According to recent research, it is confirmed that dividing large objectives into smaller parts increases the probability that people will achieve them, thus, small achievements are more motivating and create an internal drive or a feeling of victory, so that each individual feels capable of setting a goal and reaching it.
Are small achievements that important?
Of course! As we were saying, it is a type of intuitive strategy. A study published in Scientific American revealed that people who divide their goals into small actions are more likely to achieve them, and that small goals are easier to achieve. In addition, these small steps can end up becoming a natural part of our routine.
You are not going to become obsessed with order overnight, and as you have seen, you do not need a revolution in your life to become more organized. With a small change at a time and trusting that these small changes will accumulate over time, you will see that everything will get better.
You know that you don’t have to aim for absolute perfection, nor compare your small achievements with those of other people. One step and one day at a time will make your mess go away and you will end up breaking that cycle of disorder. It is very important that we do not have unrealistic expectations and that we move forward little by little, with what our body can bear. You can start today, a simple action will make your life 1% more organized, tomorrow, another 1% and you will have 2%, and so on until you end up incorporating all your habits of disorder.