Everybody should have an organizing principle in their lives. In Reacher’s case, it was relentless forward motion.
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child
Jack Reacher doesn’t own a house because that would tie him down. He travels light, carrying only a toothbrush and some cash. (After 9/11, he also carries his passport.) He takes on only temporary jobs to fund his wanderings. He isn’t seduced by the comforts, charms, and security of domesticity, emotional relationships, and material possessions.
Reacher has built a life around his organizing principle. He lives in a way that lets him move forward relentlessly—physically and emotionally.
Reacher’s life may be too radical, not to mention, uncomfortable and unsettling for many of us. Now, no one is asking you to live a life like him. We can choose whatever life we may want to carve out for ourselves. But, we all need an organizing principle to run our lives and keep ourselves sane.
What is an Organizing Principle?
At a deeply emotional level, your organizing principle is the motto you live by. It is a set of values you stick to whatever the circumstances you find yourself in or the challenges you are up against.
Your organizing principle is the way you act and the decisions you make when confronted with conflicting choices. It is the pattern of habits and behavior that define you and the way you live.
Many people choose values like truth and simplicity as their organizing principles. These people go about their lives speaking the truth however unpleasant or brutal it might sound to others. They live frugally even if that means going without many creature comforts.
Some people choose to commit to a cause or a particular lifestyle. Then their allegiance to what they believe in or want to support and uphold becomes their organizing principle. They arrange their lives, actions, and decisions around this principle. For instance, every time these people have to make a purchase decision, they first do the mental math to figure out how much they will have left to donate to their cause. If funds are short, they postpone the purchase.
People who are committed to living an eco-friendly life build habits and make lifestyle choices that let them live without ratcheting up their carbon footprint.
Some people pledge to be always there for their friends and families. These people choose jobs, schedule their working hours, and plan trips, so they can be near their loved ones in need.
How Does Your Organizing Principle Help You Live Better, Richer, and Be More Fulfilled?
An organizing principle is the biggest time-saving and stress-busting tool you can have in your life. Here’s how your organizing principle helps you live a more productive, fulfilled, and authentic life:
By letting you carve out an authentic life that is in line with your dreams.
Your organizing principle is your very own internal compass that guides you when you are not sure which road to take or how to respond to life. Your organizing principle keeps you on track (and distractions at bay) when you have a goal to reach. Most importantly, your organizing principle serves as a blueprint as you go about creating the life that reflects the YOU you aspire to be.
Make sure that the organizing principle you choose to live by reflects your deepest desires and most passionate dreams.
By teaching you discipline, commitment, hard work, and patience.
Your organizing principle compels you to commit. It inculcates in you the discipline to stick to one line of action. By staying true to your organizing principle even when alternative avenues are rosier and less thorny, you also learn the value of hard work. When you have faith in your organizing principle, you are content to carry on and not fret when the results are slow to show up.
Values like commitment, discipline, hard work, and patience will hold you in good stead wherever you are in life and whatever you do with your life. These qualities not only get you noticed but also help you reach your goals faster by making you more efficient.
By saving you time that you would have otherwise spent agonizing over choices.
By choosing to remain true to your organizing principle, you save time you would have otherwise spent weighing the pros and cons of a multitude of choices.
You decide to make frugality your organizing principle. So, you buy only those objects that you need to survive. You do not buy to show off or prove a point. You do not splurge because you want to keep up with the Joneses. Thus you save a lot of time that you would have otherwise wasted poring over brochures, scrolling down website catalogs, or queuing for hours in front of a store to grab Black Friday deals.
Or you decide to work with animals for the rest of your life. So, you quit your job, the perks and the prestige notwithstanding, and get in touch with animal shelters and veterinary practices to follow your dream. By doing so, you spare yourself the frenzy and frustration of always being on the hunt for greener pastures. You save the time you would have otherwise wasted learning the skills for a job your soul loathes.
By making you stand out as a reliable and consistent person.
Having an organizing principle makes you more efficient and productive. You also get stamped as a person of integrity and consistency. And why?
An organizing principle is like a guiding idea or a frame of reference that steers your life while keeping you grounded. When you live your life by an organizing principle, the people around you see you as a person who walks the talk, keeps their word, and behaves predictably in all currencies of their lives.
When you profess to be a minimalist, people expect your house to be clutter-free and your wardrobe to consist of only a few classic pieces of clothing that you mix and match to wear. They expect you not to splurge on stuff that is not functional or does not enrich your life in any way.
When you claim you care for the environment, people expect you to shun single-use plastic, use public transport as often as you can, and shop locally.
When your life and the choices you make align with your organizing principle, you achieve harmony and coherence. You display consistency, and people take you to be a reliable person. When you are perceived as an authentic person, you win more friends, clients, and admirers.
By saving you guilt pangs, frustration, and repentance somewhere down the line.
If you are not true to your heart or do not honor your soul’s calling, you will feel the pangs of bitterness and frustration somewhere down the line. When you act against your organizing principle, you go against your grain. This realization is emotionally uncomfortable, and sometimes it is so painful that it cuts you to the quick.
You were probably swayed by money. Or you felt compelled because you wanted to impress someone. Or maybe, you wanted to take the easy way out. Whatever the reason, deep down you will always know that by not sticking to your organizing principle, you have gone against everything that you stand for. Your sense of self takes a beating. A feeling that you have been dishonest gnaws at you persistently.
By letting you move on and get on with life however trying the circumstances are.
An organizing principle is like your North Star. You choose it yourself, but over time, your organizing principle becomes a part of your identity. You begin to organize your life and make choices based on your sense of self.
Your organizing principle is the path you have chosen to walk on in this lifetime. It is a straight path with no diversions. You have to stay on the path and ignore everything that threatens to veer you off course.
Broken relationships. Bankruptcy. Betrayal. Bereavement. Whatever life throws at you, you have to stick to your organizing principle. However trying the circumstances, you have to follow your organizing principle.
You have no choice, and isn’t that wonderful?
You have to move on. You have to get up, dust yourself, pick up the pieces, and get on with life. The road ahead is marked clearly, and you have no excuses not to follow it.
By letting your organizing principle guide you, you can never become stagnant. By following your organizing principle, you can always bounce back from disappointments, failures, and misfortunes.
Choose an organizing principle that speaks to your soul. The “real” you will never lead you astray.
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