Designing Systems & Creating New Habits

The basic principle I follow when designing systems for organizing homes is that we should design systems for people, not people for systems. Basically, don’t try to force yourself or your family into a new system. Rather, learn more about yourself and the people around you, then use that to manipulate the space to ensure that the space works for the people.

In my first post on system design I write that we already have systems and habits that we just don’t recognize. We make our lives a lot easier if we observe ourselves and the people around us to find and use those existing patterns. In the previous post, I give two examples, one, of how I found a home for my keys. And, two, how I created an organizational system for my sons dresser.

If we use the behaviors we (and those around us) already do to create systems, then we are much more likely to have success with that system. Additionally, it causes a lot less conflict in the relationships we have with people. Consider this, if you are frustrated that your husband, partner, or even child come into the kitchen and dump their keys wallet on to the kitchen counter, rather than fight with them about this, put a basket where they dump their stuff. This is how we can build off of the patterns and habits those around us already have, and we are not trying to change the people around us. Rather, we are honoring them (and our relationship to them) by recognizing what they already do.

However, I will be the first to admit, this doesn’t always work. Truth is, sometimes, our natural patterns do not help us design a system. This is where the hard(er) part of systems design begins. This is really requires the creation of new patterns or habits. This can be difficult work. However, there are strategies we can use to build off of our existing patterns and habits.

According to James Clear, author of the book Atomic Habits, “One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.” He calls this “habit stacking.” The idea is simple, if you already have a good habit, or pattern, and you are looking to add a new habit, or pattern, build off of your strength to create a whole stack of good habits.

According to James Clear,

The habit stacking formula is:

After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

He give the following examples:

• After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.

• After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes.

After reading this, I thought about an area in my home that frustrates me, and I realized I could craft a new habit using this strategy of stacking habits. One area that has become a problem area is the bathroom sink. It seems like it is always wet, and never gets wiped up. I thought about what I already do in the bathroom everyday, and it occurred to me that I brush my teeth over the sink everyday. I decided this would be my new habit stack:

• While I brush my teeth, I will wipe down the sink with a wash cloth I will keep near the sink.

And, you know what? It works. Every time I brush my teeth, I now clean the bathroom sink. And, what is even funnier is that my husband noticed this and started wiping down the sink when he brushed his teeth too. I never even had to talk to him about it.

Another place where I began stacking habits is around cleaning up at night. My two year old son goes to bed, we will clean up his toys together.

• Before my son goes to bed, we will clean up his toys.

My longer term goal is for him to clean up his toys independently, but right now this is what makes my night more comfortable. You see, after he went to bed I would spend his after bed time cleaning up after him, instead of re-charging for the next day. Thus, I moved toy clean up to before he goes to bed. This allows me to have the time to be the best mom I can be.

Whether you use a pattern you already have and consciously make it into a pattern, or you stack a habit you already have with a habit that you want to have, the underlying idea is the same — take something you are already doing and make it work for you.

Systems design is not about completely upending the structures and protocols you already have in your home. Rather, it is about honoring the patterns you already have and actively using them to develop systems for your home.

If you would like a tool for creating systems in your home, click here to get one.