Broken windows and snow days

Many of us are getting crushed with cold weather in the form of snow, ice and freezing rain. Some of you even have a snow day.

What is there to do on a snow day besides watch TV and sip green tea while mindlessly munching on carrots? :)

I got an idea...

In Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point he brought to light the idea of the broken window theory, though, it's been around since the early '80's.

The broken window theory is fascinating, and I believe it applies so much to our health and fitness.

It suggests that people on streets with lots of broken windows, graffiti, garbage, etc., are more likely to throw trash on the street, graffiti the walls, and overall have much less respect for the property on that street than if it were gleaming.

When former Mayor Giuliani first become mayor of NYC, he went after the small infringements like meter skipping for subways, graffiti, and getting rid of the guys that washed car windows whether you asked them to or not.

He felt that if you attack the small nuances, the serious ones like assault, rape and murder would diminish.

He was right.

So, I believe this applies to us as well...

I find that:

When my office is messy, I’m not nearly as productive, organized and on point.

When my kitchen is messy, I tend to order in food more.

When my laundry is piling up, I skip the gym because I don’t have any clothes to wear.

When I don’t have healthy food stocked up, I’m way more likely to eat unhealthy.

I try very hard not to let the small annoying things build up. Some might sound obvious but they can make a big difference.

Like —> spending 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing, stopping at the grocery store (no matter how annoying it might be), and doing my laundry every 2 weeks.

I find that when I stay on top of these small but impactful tasks, staying consistent with my diet and exercise is easier.

Just like nothing begets nothing, consistency begets consistency.

So, if you're bored of watching reruns or are unsure of what to do this evening, why not spend some time cleaning and organizing?

Question: If you do find that small things can make a big difference (positively or negatively) how can we make them work in your favor?

-A