When we do a risk assessment for an activity it is not to deem it too risky to do but so that we can work around the risks and find strategies to deal with them if they happen Likewise the aim of identifying the limiting factors is not to shatter our confidence or motivation for doing the project but to build in ways to dissolve them or lessen or remove their impact We don’t need to develop a preoccupation with our limits
When we have established what the limiting factors are, these then become the foundations – the building blocks for design The more candid and explicit the limits are the more real the solution is The aim of the design is to minimise, side step or negate altogether the influence of the limiting factors to allow more potential for growth and productivity
When friends, Helen and Jim Morris-Ridout were building their home there were plenty of opportunities for them to confront their limiting factors and design around them Helen reflected, “Without our training in permaculture we may well have given up at times But we knew there were solutions to every problem we encountered and we just had to find a way around them ” One of their biggest limiting factors was
Design
the challenge of how to balance family life and still make progress on the building Jim said, “For me it wasn’t an option to either not see my children or to not get on with creating our home, both had to happen ” He resolved this by finding jobs that he could do with his sons around and teaching them safe ways of using tools for themselves His eldest son loves carpentry and is more proficient with tools then most seven year olds
Scenario Limiting factor Design needs/solutions
Community garden Money Fundraising, selling plants Exercise routine Motivation and stamina Get friend involved for
company Wanting promotion at work Not getting along with your
boss Developing relationship with boss Community group People to get involved Awareness raising event Transition town group Group dynamics Effective meeting techniques
actIvIty: doIng the actIvItIes In the book
What may stop me from doing the activities, or somehow limit the potential productivity of them?
What are my limiting factors?
Everyone will have their own limiting factors. Some examples may be understanding, time, lack of confidence, motivation, seeing the relevance or resistance to change.
There may be things inside of yourself or external influences pulling you off in a different direction. Dig a bit deeper here and ask yourself – what else may get in my way? There may be concerns that you have about change that are underlying your resistance. Or it could be practical considerations such as reading the book in bed at night.
Look back at your aim for reading this book and think about what could stand in the way of you reaching it.
For each of the limiting factors and concerns think of at least one way in which they could be worked around. Then decide which strategies you could put in place now, and which ones you can use later if and when you need to.
Zones
Zoning is a conceptual design tool used for managing our own energies Radiating out from the centre are zones zero to five Zone 00 is the self at the centre On a land based design, elements that are in need of most attention are placed nearer to the home and yourself than those that need less frequent attention Placement varies according to how often they need visiting or how often we need to visit them, with
L
IM ItS
those that need to be checked every day closest to ourselves, saving us energy Zone 0 is our home, zone 1 is the immediate garden, 2 and 3 would be main crops that need less harvesting and maintenance and larger areas of pasture Zone 4 is managed woodland Zone 5 is the wilderness zone that we would only visit to learn lessons from nature and not to interfere
In our homes or office we can use this concept on a smaller scale to assess our energy flow The idea is that items closer to where we need them will get more attention paid to them Just as we water plants more frequently that are right outside our back door, urgent and important tasks are more likely to get done when within our sight If we want to play the guitar more, having it close to hand will make it more accessible Conversely we can relocate items to a further zone if we want to focus less on them
For instance we will reach for chocolate biscuits less often if they are on a high shelf out of the way than if they are right next to the teapot Having to actively get the TV out makes us pause and think about whether we actually want to watch something or are turning it on out of habit
actIvIty: dIstancIng the dIstractIon
Think of two things in your current lifestyle, one that you would like to do more of, and one you would like less of. Now think about
where these things are in relation to you and your movements through the day. You may have the answers already, or perhaps you need to observe yourself over a few days. Whatever you would like less of is a distraction that you can remove or distance. If this isn’t possible find some barrier, or way of making it more difficult to get to; this could be as simple as a cloth over the television. This is a way of breaking our patterns of behaviour. To test this theory out, move something from one of the cupboards in your kitchen that you use frequently; this could be the oil for cooking, wooden spoons or the tea jar. Over the next few days observe how often you open the cupboard it was in to reach for it without even thinking. (You may want to let your other house members in on the experiment as they will also be reaching into the same cupboards and may get annoyed!) Now, think about what you would like to encourage in your life, reading, playing music or eating healthy snacks. Where can you place these so you can visit them more easily?