Everything we take in, we take in through our senses. We experience this life and this world through these senses. And when we take something in, it makes us feel something, and/or fuels our efforts in some way. If you are picky about what you eat, it is because you know that some foods will fuel your efforts for vitality and strength and some will hurt your efforts. Some foods contribute nutrients that fuel your body’s performance and some contribute poisons that harm it.
What would happen if we were that picky about everything else we ingest? Tim Ferriss advocates a low-information diet. He recommends that you eliminate any information in the form of reading, watching and listening that is not timely, not relevant, or not actionable. To get through his filter, an article, book, podcast or video must be all three: timely, relevant and actionable. That is, you can use it to forward your efforts right now.
What if anything and everything you ingest, from smells to the touch of fabrics to media, food and more could forward your efforts right now? A fully supportive personal ecosystem. Making the happen starts with asking yourself – what are the efforts I am trying to forward? What are your goals? Then, define what you need to forward those efforts: feelings or mindsets, information, new perspectives, love, energy, food, exercise, strategies, etc. Once you know what you need to forward your efforts, you can consciously experiment with a sensory environment that offers that and filters out anything that would detract from that.
For example:
What efforts are you working on?
Be healthy and strong
Speak 9 languages
Write a book on X
Make an original painting
So what can you use to forward your efforts right now?
Be healthy and strong – food dense in nutrients, a workout plan that has both cardio and strength training, consistent schedule of eating and workout times, feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory
Speak 9 languages – a consistent schedule of language practice, translations of interesting topics, feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory
Write a book on X – a consistent schedule of writing and development time, ideas and perspectives about X, feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory
Make an original painting – inspiration from painters I admire, ideas about creative expression, time to think, time to experiment, feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory
There are two major themes here: a consistent schedule and feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory. These two paired with specific information or perspectives make up everything you need to meet a goal. As humans, however, EVERYTHING we have, comes through our senses. So if you are going to have information, perspectives, and feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory, you are going to have to get them from your senses. Then, you can create that consistent schedule and make it happen.
Try this: make a list of all the things you take in through your senses. Then, highlight those that give you feelings of joy, hope, progress and victory, or critical information and perspectives. Cross out anything that works against you.
For example (keep in mind this is just MY example, and yours may look very different)…
Taste
Food – healthy food that is on my list, other food that is not on my list, [Bad for me: grains, corn syrup, meat]
Drinks – coffee, wine, water, [Bad for me: beer, hard liquor, soda]
Screens – [all screens seem to be bad for me over X hours]
Sound
Music – modern, vintage, ambient, Spanish guitar, salsa[Bad for me: metal, halted beats]
Podcasts – informational, [Bad for me: entertaining without information]
Touch
Fabrics – soft but not too soft, [Bad for me: scratchy, rough, or stiff]
Water – shower, hot tub, washing hands or dishes, drinking water
Keyboards & Devices [Limit total contact time]
Food – texture of foods in the mouth – crunchy, soft, creamy, [Bad for me: gelatinous]
Energy
Others – My love, my son, my puppy, other people, other animals, things, places
Mine – Reiki, Kundalini, Earth Energy
(Note: there is no bad energy for me.)
Somethings forward your efforts, some things are neutral and some things set you back. As you are able, add more of what contributes and remove what does not contribute. Sometimes this is easy and free – it does not cost anything to stop checking social media and headlines and you can stop that right now. But it might take time and money to add more of a certain kind of rug to your house. This list can become a guide and reminder as you engineer your reality to fully support your goals.
Keep in mind that your goals, what you need to support them and therefore what you choose to ingest will evolve over time just like anything else. It pays to return to your list periodically for an update.
