Designing Your Life Based on Permaculture Principles (Part 7): From Patterns to Details

Patterns are everywhere in the natural world. From the pattern on a sunflower seed head, to the migration of animal species across the planet, to weather systems and the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the natural world is made up of a series of complex patterns. So why should we be any different? If we can begin to understand and discover our own patterns, we can learn a great deal about ourselves, about the things that come naturally to us, and about what our passions in life truly are.

In today's series, we would like to share with you some guidance on designing a life around patterns, through principle number 7 of permaculture.

1. Work

Try to find the working style and environment in which you thrive the most, and focus more on this working style. You may write very well but not be good with numbers? Do you prefer to work alone, or do you need teammates by your side? Do you prefer discipline or flexibility? Everyone has a different working style, so you need to identify what suits you best and steer yourself toward your ideal working environment.

2. Free time

How are you using your free time? Observing how you spend your free time helps you identify your passions. If you find yourself spending all your free time painting, perhaps you should look for work closely related to art; if you spend your free time playing sports, perhaps a sports-related job would suit you; if you love cooking, why not consider becoming a chef? If you can earn a living from what you love, you will attain an enormous degree of satisfaction and happiness in your work. If you are pursuing something you truly love, you will also do it far better than if you were doing it simply to earn money. Passion is the key to reaching success faster.

3. Interests

Look at the things you enjoy doing and try to find those that truly come naturally. Are you doing things you do not really like simply because your family and friends believe they suit you? If you do the very things you excel at and devote more time to them, you will be able to reach a higher level of success.

4. People

Observe the people around you. Your character will be the average combination of the six people closest to you. If those people have a negative influence on you, or do not share a lifestyle similar to the one you are aiming for, you will find it harder to reach your goals. Seek out the patterns and habits of the people who inspire you, and interact with them as much as you can.

5. Daily habits

Observe your own daily habits. How long do you usually sleep? How long is your commute to work? What is your work routine? Where do you buy your groceries? All the habits in your life are patterns that you can carry out more effectively with careful observation and design in your life.

6. Food and drink

Observe carefully to understand how what you eat and drink affects you. If you eat or drink a lot of sugar, how do you feel? If you drink too much alcohol, how do you feel the next day? Once you begin to be aware of how food and drink affect your health and energy, you can redesign your habits to address this issue.

Reference source: Designing Your Life with Permaculture, Josh David [online], available at: https://www.permaculture.co.uk/…/design-patterns-details

This article belongs to the Permaculture category – sharing methods for designing a lifestyle and practising enduring agriculture according to the principles of Permaculture.