How the Broken Windows Theory Can Apply to Your Life

What you see, matters.

The broken windows theory, defined in 1982 by social scientists James Wilson and George Kelling, drawing on earlier research by Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo, argues that

no matter how rich or poor a neighborhood, one broken window would soon lead to many more windows being broken.

In essence, broken windows in an urban area were seen to be a sign of disorder. If there is one broken window, it demonstrates that no one cares, so, therefore, it doesn’t hurt to break more.

The way I see it, it seems like this can apply to just about anything, including daily life.

If everything around you in your home is in disarray, there isn’t much impact or harm in adding a little more clutter. It won’t make that big of a difference, and who cares anyway?

If your circle of friends generally don’t care about their health, then what difference does it make if you have a few bad habits that are negatively impacting your well-being? There really isn’t a standard to reach and no one will be on your case about it because they’re in the same boat…you’ll be accepted. We all want that.

Things around us matter and they impact not only how we feel about our lives, but how we care for our environment and those around us.

The Broken Window Theory was effective in rebuilding neighborhoods. Its premise seemed to be accurate in that by improving neighborhoods in blighted areas by adding parks and green spaces and repairing areas that were in disarray, residents had a greater sense of safety.

It improved their lives.

Consider how this idea plays out in your day-to-day life. What we do, see, or interact with on a daily basis can determine whether or not we feel inspired or not.

Is Your House In Order?

Your home is the center of your mindset. It’s where you spend most of your time, where you recharge, where you rest. If there are parts that are in disarray, it will not be a calming and inspiring respite.

Consider that when you feel like you need to “get away”, it may be because what is around you isn’t doing anything to encourage relaxation. The place you’re coming home to for rest is only causing you more stress.

By making your home and surroundings more clutter-free, clean, and reflecting who you are, you will be improving your daily life and mindset. By having spaces that are serene, bright, and cared for, you can upgrade how you feel each and every day and find the peace you need without having to leave to get it.

Take A Look At The People Around You

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. The theory is that how things play out in any situation will be the average of all of the outcomes.

It’s important that you don’t have people around you that are only going to lower the bar, making it easy for you to remain complacent and stagnant.

Being in the midst of people who have little or no ambition or don’t understand or support you can easily become a situation where you begin to lose your drive.

If that’s what you see, more of that from you won’t disrupt anything.

Be mindful of surrounding yourself with people that push you to be and do better. You need supporters, critics, and questioners around you to keep you on a track of growth and self-improvement instead of settling for the status quo.

Is Your Relationship Challenging You?

Are you in a relationship that seems to be stagnant? Do you feel stuck in the same place and feelings, just going through the daily motions that are simply habits now?

Complacency will only yield more complacency. It’s what tends to lead people elsewhere to find what they need to stay engaged and challenged. You can easily become indifferent, disinterested, or just too comfortable.

Don’t let that happen. You need to take the steps to improve your interactions whenever you can and make the first move to remain connected. Don’t allow things to get stale just because they become familiar.

Challenge the status quo with small, unexpected acts of love and kindness and bid for personal interaction whenever you can.

Is Your Work Meaningful?

Sometimes our work environment becomes uninspiring as well. In our quest to keep a good job, we may not see how things could be changing around us.

If your work is not challenging you or going in a direction that doesn’t align with your values, you may need to revisit your position there or run the risk of compromising those values.

We all want to do work that makes a difference, but oftentimes survival is our main objective and we tolerate a job that is less inspiring than we had hoped for.

If the job is good and you’re not necessarily comfortable with making a change, maybe you can find other ways to do work that you value and that feeds your spirit.

Meaningful results from your work efforts are enriching and life-giving. If what we do every day becomes only a means to a paycheck, we will slowly die on the vine of inspiration and begin to lose our sense of purpose.

Find ways to keep yourself in good purpose and in service so you can do work that gives back, whether it’s in your job now or something you can do on the side. It will improve your life.

Everything that surrounds you matters and has a significant impact on how you live each day. You need to be hawkish in your pursuit of a purposeful inspired life by challenging yourself not to be lured into situations that don’t represent you and don’t lift you up.

Take stock of your home, friends, relationships, and work and ask yourself if you’re falling in lockstep with what you’re used to or if you’re challenging yourself to make changes that will inspire better things for you.

Seeing broken windows made people feel as if no one cared, and if things were already bad, no one would also care if they got worse.

When things around you make you feel stuck, uninspired or without a purpose, recognize that you don’t need to fall into the same patterns just because that’s the way it is.

Make the necessary repairs and upgrades in your life that raise the bar for yourself and those around you.

🎉 P.S. More musings on 🎧🔥The Badass Midlife Podcast🔥🎧

Juicy midlife topics…with a twist.