Positive Feedback Loops

I’m not the genius who came up with the phrase “leave things better than they were when you got there.” Was it the Boy Scouts?

While I first learned this in regards to enjoying nature, it works in personal living. This simple philosophy, when applied to even the most basic routines, returns remarkable results.

For at least the past couple decades, the vacant lots we have begun working on in North City St. Louis have been dumping grounds. Truckloads of trash left to become garden beds for honeysuckle. We come and go several times a day (because livestock), and have developed a habit of steadily picking up trash.

Making sure to fill up a better of trash every Saturday is required just to keep the front looking OK. Heavy equipment has been employed twice to clear the invasive plants that have colonized the land, and uncovered a whole new sedimentary layer of rubbish.

After doing a little bit every day for a year, it is unrecognizably better. We’re ready for beneficial planting . The positive feedback loop has progressed past clean-up and maintenance into proactive improvement.

What areas in your life can you apply this principle? Messy car, basement, house? Desk at work? Whatever area clutters your mind, try not leaving empty handed after each visit and see how quickly it adds up.