To start a habit

Welcome to the first instalment of what I hope will become a regular sharing of my passions for all things, sustainability, permaculture, self-development and nature-based learning.

I am really excited for the opportunity to develop as a writer and articulate the many things I am learning about alongside the kids (both young and old) who make up our Stepping Stones community.

I will attempt to make this short and sweet, in keeping with a lesson from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits (a fantastic read btw), who taught me that the best way to pick up a new habit is to start small.

To standardise before you optimise.

If you want to make something a habit, start by doing it for just two minutes (or heck even less) but to do it regularly, preferably at a consistent time and place.

With that approach, I’ve managed to put together quite a list of daily habits for improving health, developing new skills and hopefully even building character.

From practicing different languages, going for a daily jog, gratitude journaling, shooting arrows, meditation, cold therapy, learning about nature and more.

Critics of this approach might argue that one will never be great at anything when he spreads himself thin, and while I do agree with that reasoning, I am greatly encouraged that within the permaculture movement at least, generalists like myself are generally favoured in a positive light.

Which is just one more reason for me to love permaculture. The idea of building different habits, skills and doing the deep-work that often goes hand in hand with self-development being a positive thing for the collective whole.

I really like that permaculture encourages the concept of a “toolbelt”. That every skill acquired, makes up a new tool to hang on the belt. You don’t have to be great at any one skill or another, providing you get better at learning how the tools can best work together and being able to identify the time and place to use them.

It's a common mistake that, permaculturists are often viewed as merely another style of gardener, but in fact gardening is only one tool among many on that toolbelt.

First and foremost permaculture is about design.

To design a system for resilient living, in harmony WITH nature.

It's a process, and like any kind of effective learning process, making mistakes is a big part of the journey.

As G.K Chesterton put it:

“Anything worth doing is worth doing is worth doing badly.”