Crafting freedom from the hidden rules we allow to govern us

Last Wednesday, the power went off. It was planned. Someone from the power company told us this was going to happen from 9am with power back estimated at 4.30pm. So, as a family all at home in lockdown, we scheduled a special day of doing a lot of unplugged things. Including going for a walk after lunch. When we got back at 2.30 the power was back on early ... so what did we do?

Breaking Free from Hidden Rules: Crafting Memorable Days

We immediately defaulted to the 'important/urgent' things. Sara (my wife) said she was a bit sad, even though we'd all agreed to return to normal. She's focused on tasks and work as a freelancer, as am I. We naturally stick to work during working hours. But wouldn't an occasional memorable day be worthwhile? A day to remember? (Crafting such days is a key part of the Day Crafting Body-clock Workbook.) For me, this reveals the hidden rules we carry—rules that dictate what we're comfortable doing, like believing that a workday requires productivity. I could force myself away from my desk, but the hidden rules in my mind would stop me from truly enjoying myself – unless the power is off, in which case the argument is ended, and someone or something has set me free. (The Day Crafting Productivity Workbook explores this in detail.) The same applies in the evenings and at weekends—different rules. Tim Smit from the Eden Project would take his team to a restaurant in the evening to make important or creative decisions because he knew they would operate under a different set of rules than during the day. Maybe he knew they were in their rebound stage of chronorhythm, when creativity is at its best. But, what a crafting project it would be for the Day Crafter, freedom from our rules that come from ... where? Society? Protestant work ethic? Childhood conditioning? ... Maybe I should just pull all the fuses out of the wall more often.

The Practice

Freedom from our rules. Work around your rules. If you can't escape them, at least begin to use the time of day to your advantage. For example, reserve energy during the day so you're not too tired to do something creative in the evening. Try making decisions at different times; under 'work' rules or outside of them. Start exploring what is involved with challenging or changing your rules in small ways, one day at a time. Prepare and schedule in advance time to do something you would normally feel uncomfortable doing. Negotiate with yourself. Permissive identity shift can happen quickly if you find the right way to craft the change.