My iPhone slid into the river yesterday.
I'm usually completely focused whenever my darling phone and I are over water. But yesterday I put it on a sloped rock, while I sat in a rock pool, and let the cool stream flow over me. There were children around, jumping on my rock, being cute and distracting.
Why did I do this? I usually only take risks that are worth it. I usually protect things that I love.
When I got home and started googling 'how to dry a wet smartphone', I looked around and noticed general disorder. I hadn't unpacked from my big trip to Melbourne and Sydney. I had guests. My kitchen was disorderly, even though dealing immediately with kitchens is something I learned late in life, and I'm pretty in love with. I'd been navigating challenging or exciting people in many different households, for many days in a row.
It all added up to Cecilia not being on the ball, and a wet iPhone.
Start taking a survey of whats going on in your surroundings next time you hurt or break something. Tell me about it.
Toyota, the home of 5s methodology, don't have accidents. They don't have products that are faulty or break down. Well, they have factories that go for years with nothing worse than a paper cut, and the world's most reliable and inexpensive cars. They also have a non-negotiable tidiness habit might be something that frees up attention, and stops things sliding.
Thats a way-of-being that I'd like a piece of.
Keeping things tidy for the sake of tidiness is a non-reason, it’s just doesnt Seem worth it, to mos of us.
Keeping things tidy so our spirit belogs to ourselves, to direct as we wish, thats the reason.
My phone still works.
Next time I'm 'unlucky', I'll remember this undeserved grace, and I won't complain.
My mates and I are putting together a handbook. Its for tidy-resistant people to find a way to live in clear, calm order. Its based on what I've learned from Permacuture, Japanese culture, and Japanese manufacturing, and its a team effort. If you'd like to offer help edting or reality-testing, or if you'd like to go on the waitlist to get a copy when its done, contact me. I'd love to hear from you.