Struck By Simplicity
Recently, while traveling in Mexico, my wife and I were riding in the back of a tuk-tuk near the central square of a small town. As we rounded the corner, I noticed three orange traffic cones clustered together in the intersection.
“It’s a roundabout,” Amanda said, smiling, indicating the 3 cones.
She was right. I shifted my focus from the cones to the traffic moving around them. As motorbikes, tuk-tuks, and taxis flowed through the intersection, they were all seamlessly obeying the rules of the 3 cones.
Minimal as it was, it was a fully functional roundabout.
Three cones doesn’t look like much, but it’s enough to get every vehicle safely through the intersection.
Subtlety Over Force
When we think of making lasting change, we often assume it means major overhauls, new systems, and big efforts.
“Go big or go home.”
“All or nothing.”
“Now or never.”
The problem with this thinking is we assume we need to try harder or do more. But often, effort isn’t the problem. Most people trying to change are already working hard. The problem is what we think effort has to look like.
What if the right cue, in the right place, does more than the biggest overhaul? Maybe a little bit of strategy can get us farther than brute force or willpower can.
Three cones doesn’t look like much, but it’s enough to get every vehicle safely through the intersection.
Place the Cone
Many of us know we could benefit from consistent breathwork or meditation. But we either don’t know exactly what to do, or more likely, don’t know how to fit it into our daily schedule.
What do you do? Just pick a time to sit there and breathe?
Well, yes and no. If you literally schedule a time to breathe, it can easily be interrupted. You might be on the phone or deeply engaged in work at that time. Any number of unexpected distractions could interfere with your scheduled breathing.
How can you work around that?
Rather than picking a time, identify something you already do every day. Do you have coffee every morning? Do you put on your shoes before leaving? Do you sit down at your computer at a certain time?
If you can identify something you’re already going to do, place a traffic cone there to direct you toward the new behavior.
How about a sticky note on the coffee machine that says, “Breathe while brewing.”
Or a small cloth placed over your keyboard that you only remove once you’ve done 10 deep breaths.
Nothing dramatic. Just a subtle signal.
Agreeing to Obey
Traffic cones are a marvel of behavior modification. They’re not big. They’re not sturdy. And yet, when we see one, we instantly recognize that we’re being guided.
Your car wouldn’t be damaged if you ran one over, but most of us would never consider doing that purposely. Instead, the cone grabs our attention, and we try to discern what it’s instructing us to do.
Traffic cones work because we all agree they do. We’ve accepted them as a universal signal to use caution and change course if needed. This consensus is what gives them power. It’s not their size, weight, or strength that directs us. It’s the authority we’ve mentally allowed them.
The same logic applies to us. We just have to choose the signal to pay attention to, define what it means, and agree to obey it.
Instead of redesigning your day, focus on directing a few important moments.
The Traffic Cone Method
Here’s how to try this on your own. We’ll call it “The Traffic Cone Method”:
- Identify one behavior you want to begin or modify
- Find a logical moment in your day (the intersection) where you can redirect to your desired behavior
- Designate a simple signal (the cone) that you’ll obey when you encounter it
Example
We’ll use the breathwork example from above.
- Behavior: I want to do 10 slow, deep breaths while I clear my mind daily
- Intersection: When I brew coffee
- Cone: A sticky note on the button that I push to brew the coffee that says, “Breathe while brewing.”
That’s it. You don’t need to buy three books about meditation and burn a sage stick. Just redirect your behavior in a predictable place and agree to obey the signal.
Walk the Intersection
After the roundabout, I started noticing similar signals everywhere.
Our phones offer some of the most powerful examples. When they light up, we know there’s a notification bubble waiting for us on a social media app. We open it.
See the cone, do the behavior.
But fortunately, when it comes to most of our behaviors, we don’t have to simply respond to signals. We get to be the ones who choose where to place them and decide what they signify.
You’ve been setting out cones your whole life. Walk the intersection and notice which ones are still helpful, and which ones are just blocking the road.
As always, thanks for reading. I’m truly happy you’re here.
All the best,
Nate