"Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work"

The core idea here is pretty straightforward: if you keep your personal life well-organized, you create a stable foundation that allows you to be wildly creative and innovative in your professional or creative pursuits. It's like having a solid launchpad that lets you soar higher without worrying about the ground beneath you.

Historically, this quote is often attributed to French writer Gustave Flaubert. He was known for his meticulous approach to writing, spending countless hours perfecting each sentence. The idea here is about balance. By maintaining order in your daily life, you free up mental and emotional space to be unconventional and groundbreaking in your work.

Now, let’s dive into a real-life example. Think about Steve Jobs. His personal life, despite its complexities, was quite disciplined. He was known for wearing the same style of outfit every day—black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers. This minimized daily decisions about what to wear, allowing him to channel his energy into his work at Apple. The result? Groundbreaking products like the iPhone and the MacBook that changed the tech industry forever. His regular and orderly lifestyle gave him the mental bandwidth to be violently original in his work.

How can you apply this wisdom in your life? Start small. Establish a routine that helps you manage daily tasks more efficiently. Maybe it’s setting a specific time for your morning coffee, a dedicated hour for exercise, or even a consistent bedtime. These regular habits create a sense of order. Once your personal life is on autopilot, you’ll find it easier to dive into your work with a fresh, creative mind.

Imagine you’re a writer struggling with productivity. Each day feels chaotic, and you find it hard to focus. Now, picture setting up a morning ritual. You wake up, make your coffee, and spend 30 minutes reading something that inspires you. Then, you sit at your desk at the same time every day and start writing. This consistency in your personal routine gradually spills over into your work, providing the structure you need to unleash your creativity. You might find that your writing sessions become more productive and your ideas more innovative.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate this. A friend of mine, Lisa, always seemed overwhelmed by her art projects. Her studio was a mess, and she often missed deadlines. She decided to make a change. She started by organizing her workspace, creating a schedule, and sticking to it. Every morning, she’d spend 10 minutes tidying up her studio, then dive into her work. Over time, this regularity gave her the peace of mind to experiment with bold new techniques. Her art flourished, and she began to receive recognition for her unique style. By being regular and orderly in her life, she unlocked the ability to be violent and original in her work.

So, think about it. What small changes can you make to bring more order into your daily life? It might just be the key to unleashing your creative potential.