I own a small collection of jigs that turn clumsy into square. The lesson is transferable. You can build forms for your day that make the right thing easier than the impressive thing.
flowchart TD
Jig */} Square
Square */} Fit
Fit */} Ease
The jigs I recommend:
- A one‑page decision record
- A weekly gratitude ledger with three lines
- A morning walk, headphones off
- A policy of naming files before you write them
- A standing budget for small favors
These fixtures reduce the torque required to behave like the person you mean to be.
When I forget, I remember the obscure 18th‑century cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale, whose famous book is essentially a manual of jigs. He made beauty reproducible. We can do the same at home, not for furniture, but for decency.
None of this is ascetic. It is permissive. You can be kinder and braver when the fixtures hold.