Whenever you organize a space for its intended purpose, you are
priming it to make the next action easy. For instance, my wife keeps a
box of greeting cards that are presorted
by occasion—birthday,
sympathy, wedding, graduation, and more. Whenever necessary, she
grabs an appropriate card and sends it off. She is incredibly good at
remembering to send cards because she has reduced the friction of
doing so. For years, I was the opposite. Someone would have a baby
and I would think, “I should send a card.” But then weeks would pass
and by the time I remembered to pick one up at the store, it was too
late. The habit wasn’t easy.
There are many ways to prime your environment so it’s ready for
immediate
use. If you want to cook a healthy breakfast, place the
skillet on the stove, set the cooking spray on the counter, and lay out
any plates and utensils you’ll need the night before. When you wake
up, making breakfast will be easy.