Shahzad Ali
Explore concepts 11 pictures

Concepts / 02

Default mode.

My default mode is how I live: where I sleep, when I wake up and how I arrange the things around me. I can observe that environment and engineer it.

Illustrative example

Getting ready for the day.

  1. 01

    Sleep & wake

    I follow the setup and routine I have fallen into.

  2. 02

    Find a charger

    Where did I leave it? I check another room.

  3. 03

    Gather gym kit

    I find my clothes, then look for my shoes.

  4. 04

    Find everyday things

    The remote or lighter has moved again.

The same small searches become part of the day. I keep living with the default environment.

My idea of default mode is how I live. Where I sleep. What time I wake up. The environment I return to every day.

Sometimes I look around and do what I call environmental engineering. How much time am I spending looking for chargers, lighters or TV remotes? What small change would make that easier?

I buy multiple chargers and keep them where I need them. I put my shoes next to my gym clothes so they are ready. These little arrangements help me get started.

It feels like jump-starting my day. I have already done some of the work of making the next action easy.

Otherwise, I can become a victim of my default environment. I keep searching for the same things and accepting the same friction. I want to notice it, make a small change and see how the day feels.

What could I arrange today to make tomorrow easier?

An illustrative morning built around my examples. Environmental engineering means deliberately arranging my surroundings and routines so the actions I want to take are easier to start.