Nest: Day 18
April 18, 2011 
3 Comments
Day 18
Let’s get mean.
Poster (copyrighted) for the 1946 film, "La Belle et La Bete", Beauty and the Beast by poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. A brilliant film...if you have not seen it, do.
I’m certainly not a mean person, but there is one thing I like to be rough on. My bête noire (French for “black beast”).
Most of us have a place that qualifies as a bête noire. Mine is my finished basement…no matter what I do, it reverts back to a hell hole. Your bête noire, like mine, may be an entire floor of your house. However, if you’re a better Habithacker than I (highly likely), it might only be a closet or junk drawer. Today, get mean. Spend 11 minutes beating back this black beast. Then schedule weekly beatings on Tuesdays (what you will come to call Terrible Tuesdays).
One of our readers asked about the difference between a “shitspot” and a “bête noire”. Here’s how I explain it: a shitspot is a high-traffic, always-in-flux place that collects shit. It’s out in the open and is often a flat spot right in front of a door, for instance, where everyone throws their stuff as they walk in. Or it’s the table next to your favorite lounge spot in the house where you read mags (which stack up), drink coffee (leaving cups behind), and write reminders to yourself (leaving reading glasses, pens, notpads).
The bête noire, by contrast, is stuck. Stuff doesn’t move around too much there–it may collect, of course, but it never leaves. The bête noire is often hidden and morphs from seemingly manageable to the monster it truly is. The black beast can be a dirty little secret we hide from others…and try to forget ourselves.
Morning routine:
Obey your BOP.
Polish your place.
Take five (an 8 minute break every half hour).
Shovel your shitspot.
*Your personal additions here: ____.*
*Your personal additions here: ____.*
D-Day every day…or at least on WeDnesday.
(If it’s the Ides, do whatcha want.)
Add 3H (Half-assed housekeeping hour) to Mondays.
Beat your bête noire on Terrible Tuesdays.
Evening routine:
Polish your place.
Decide on duds.
Nest Month 1
What to do so far:
In case you missed a day, the reminders below are clickable.
Polish your place twice every day.
Do your do.
Be regular and orderly.
Take an eight minute break every half hour.
Shovel your shitspot every day.
Decide on duds the night before.
Put your Brain on Paper. BOP.
Obey your BOP.
Get your zen on.
Use your timer for 11 minute timed tasks.
Do D-Days as often as possible, but always on every WeDnesday.
Use music to enliven work at home.
On the Ides, I’d rather be _______.
Ride your routines.
Add 3H, Half-assed Housekeeping Hour, to your Mondays.
Beat your bête noire on Terrible Tuesdays.
I’m confused. Could you explain the difference between a “shitspot” and a “Bete Noire”? I’d assume that the Bete was bigger, although you say it can be just a drawer. Thanks
Oh, Barbara, you habithacking deep thinker, thank you so much for pointing this out! I see I’ve not made this clear at all! I think of a “shitspot” as a high-traffic, always-in-flux place that collects shit. It’s out in the open and is often a flat spot right in front of a door, for instance, where everyone throws their stuff as they walk in. Or it’s the table next to your favorite lounge spot in the house where you read mags (which stack up), drink coffee (leaving cup behind), and write reminders to yourself (leaving reading glasses, pens, notpads). The bete noire, by contrast, is more hidden and thus becomes even a worse place because it has an amazing ability to grow and morph from seemingly manageable to the monster it truly is. The black beast is often a dirty little secret we can hide from others…and even from ourselves. I appreciate this question and will later go back and do some rewrites on posts to clear this up. I’m also going to eventually add a habithacking glossary for fun…and also to clear up stuff like this and point to posts and questions about various things.
That makes it clearer. Thanks. I enjoy your site very much and look forward to future postings.