The Importance Of Living In A Clean And Aesthetically Pleasing Space
Months ago, at the peak of its popularity, I decided to listen to Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s best-selling book 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote For Chaos and I, like many, found some helpful tidbits which I’ve incorporated into my daily routines. While I may not agree with Peterson about everything, especially politically, I did find his self-help book helpful, and this post is communicating the concept that resonated the most with me when reading about it, which is “Rule Six” entitled “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.”
While this chapter title is rather commanding and upfront, it also has a complexity and depth that works on multiple levels of analysis. Firstly, and most broadly, Peterson is asserting that one has no room to make criticism about their findings in the world if they haven’t already addressed all of the skeletons that may be in their own closets. On this level of analysis, Peterson is making clear that those who are listened to are those who have already proven that they can effectively practice what they’re preaching. The second layer of analysis ties in nicely with lectures that Dr. Peterson has given in the past about cleaning your room. By making the space around you clean and aesthetically pleasing, you prepare yourself a place to leave from and return to that provides stability and pleasure. The first step toward orienting yourself toward a greater goal is laying a unshaken foundation for yourself that inspires a more active lifestyle, including keeping a tighter schedule, maintaining a healthy diet, and finding a goal greater than yourself for that you are able to contribute to daily. Peterson is making a bigger point here, but at the very least to me, keeping a clean space inspires productivity and makes me feel slightly better than if things were askew.
When things are in a chaotic state around me, especially those things that I do have control over but for some reason am not disciplined enough in that moment to take control over, either anxiety, indifference, or general laziness kicks in. Taking control of the space that I live in, keeping things tidy and clean, and making my living space not only aesthetically pleasing for myself but for those I allow in it, make me feel more in control of my environment and encourage greater action, the checking of more to-do list boxes, and better, more creative thinking.
Try to incorporate this idea of cleanliness and productivity in your own life - I hope it helps.
