Category: intentionality

As I was listening yet another book on creativity, it occurred to me that I really did not “need” to learn more on this topic. Most people who know me would consider me to be creative already and I have been teaching workshops in this area for decades. And then a thought from James Clear’s Atomic Habits popped into my head: “I don’t need to because I do things I don’t need to do.”

For example:

• Those who routinely go to the gym when they don’t need to, don’t need to go because they go regularly
• People who save money when they don’t need to, don’t need to save because they save routinely
• Folks who clean their homes or maintain their yards when they don’t need to, don’t need to deep clean because they have a habit of regular maintenance
• Those who take a vacation don’t need to take a vacation because they regularly take time away
• Students who study when they don’t need to…well, you get the idea.

The same applies to me listening to a book on creativity, and the concept is relevant for most any positive habit that you wish to develop. Engaging in a practice is something that you do over time, not just once in hopes that the behavior embeds itself.

Think about the skills or habits that you wish to cultivate or maintain. The best way to do so is to work on those things – even when you don’t “need to”.

Atomic Habits by James Clear, 2018

The more layers retailers and service providers can put between purchase and outlay of money, the easier it is for people to buy. Thus, there seems to be an intentional strategy today to put consumers at least one step removed from actually paying for anything directly.

• Buying online seems like typing in some numbers more than it feels like taking cash out of your wallet – and buying through an app that stores your information is even easier to do
• Choosing a book with and Audible credit from your subscription happens much more quickly than if you had to consciously pay $15 for that same listen
• Skipping a college class doesn’t feel like throwing away money because it was all billed as the semester’s tuition but those same students would never waste the equivalent amount of their cash
• Purchasing a car wash coupon book makes it more likely that you will wash your car when you can just use a coupon instead of hesitating before you pay $15
• Having insurance removes some of the pain of how much medical care truly costs and numbs the realization of how onerous the burden is for those paying directly
• Subscribing to a movie pass or a gym membership makes it seem like participating is free even though it isn’t
• Utilizing a gift card, purchasing card from a rebate or income tax refund feels like you have bonus money even though you paid for it in another form

Retailers intentionally craft ways to remove every decision point and barrier to making purchasing as easy as possible. Therefore, it pays to apply equal diligence to counteract their subterfuge and be conscious of all the money you spend – no matter in which manner you spend it. A dollar is a dollar – whether through the airwaves, over months or out of your wallet. Don’t let the ease of spending subdue you into doing too much of it.

My birthday is in June and yesterday I received a birthday present in the mail. It was fantastic! Not only was the content wonderful but receiving an unexpected package made it even more special. I may never send a gift at the usual time again.

I have always intentionally delayed my sympathy greetings – having learned from experience that anything which arrives during those initial days of grief is lost in the blur. I send wedding presents very early for the flip side of that same rationale – as the date nears, presents become almost overwhelming among the other preparations. There has been a trend of businesses to send Thanksgiving cards instead of holiday greetings to avoid being forgotten in the shuffle and a friend sent New Year’s cards and a letter to achieve the same effect.

I have never considered sending birthday greetings “off-season” until now but perhaps an added element of serendipity enhances the giving. You can shower love on the actual day with a call, card or text but save some surprise for the gift portion of your greeting. It’s a guaranteed day-brightener!