The old saying, "When the mind is not at peace, you see but do not truly see," has been bothering me lately. You only know the taste if you truly see.
It sounds like poetry or maybe too philosophical for real life. But then I saw something that made me rethink everything I thought about living sustainably.
the color company that learned to see differently
A company that made inks for printing found something amazing. For a long time, they only used eight colors. It was simple, efficient, and adhered to traditional methods. Then, in their quest for perfection, they added 700 different colors. They thought that having more choices would mean better service.
What happened? A mess.
Customers were unsure. It got harder to make things. The cost of storage shot up. Wanting "more" obscured things. Sales actually went down because too many options made it difficult to make a choice.
So they did something that didn't make sense. They brought everything back down, but this time they understood it better. Instead of just giving customers 700 colors at random, they made eight main groups based on years of watching what customers really wanted. There were 700 refined options within those eight groups, but customers only saw the eight main choices unless they asked for more information.
The change happened right away. Clients made choices more quickly. The business ran more smoothly. The money came in. But here's the most important thing: this simplification only worked because it came after a lot of thought, not before.
They had to go through the complicated parts to figure out which simple parts helped people.
what car brake pads taught me about sustainable choices?
Another business had a different issue. They made auto-brake pads in a range of colors, with black being the most common (70% of the time). The auto-brake pads are not only useful, but they are also not visible.
Thereafter, someone asked a simple question: "Why black?"
The answer showed that everyone had assumed something: "It's always been black." It doesn't show dirt. "It's professional."
But when they really looked at where brake pads lived and who used them, they found something surprising. People who worked on these parts every day, like auto mechanics, worked in places that were already dark, often stressful, and sometimes dangerous.
What if brake pads could help people at work feel better instead of just working mechanically?
They cut Black to only 30% of the production. The other 70% turned into neutral tones, warm colors, and even some surprisingly bright choices. This was not done for aesthetic purposes. This is for the purpose of creating workspaces where "eyes can rest and minds can pause."
Service centers that used different colors said that mechanics felt less fatigued during long shifts. Simply observing something other than black consistently provided my mind with brief mental breaks throughout the day.
This wasn't about making things look appealing. It focused on recognizing needs that had not been explicitly expressed.
This is how it applies to your sustainable living journey.
This is where it connects to picking eco-friendly products, making habits that don't waste anything, and making changes that last instead of just being excited for a short time.
Most people think that more is better when it comes to sustainability, just like the color company did when it first grew. More green products are preferred. More details. There should be more explicit guidelines regarding what is permissible and what is not.
What happened? Paralysis. Guilt. Ultimately, the decision comes down to surrendering.
I've seen this pattern happen over and over. When someone learns about sustainable living, they attempt to implement the following strategies:
Change out everything in the house
Remember the recycling codes
Look at each ingredient.
Follow zero-waste influencers like your life depends on it.
Think bad about being imperfect
The 700-color problem is back. There are too many options, not enough clarity, and no way to move forward.
The observation framework actually works.
The text I talked about before talks about a process: Interest → Doubt → Defense → Solution.
Every stage starts with "doubt," but not in a negative way; it's more like careful questioning. What is really going on here? Why do things work this way? Could you please clarify which needs I am addressing?
Let me show you how this works in real life.
Interest: You want to cut down on plastic trash. Good goal, common place to start.
Doubt (Observation): You don't buy 15 reusable alternatives to plastic right away; you stop and think. For one week, all you have to do is watch: What plastic comes into your home? Where does it come from? What would it take to get rid of it?
You might find out that 60% of your plastic trash comes from takeout boxes. Another 20% comes from packaging for groceries. The last 20% comes from several different places.
Defense (Understanding): Why do you purchase food to go? This method is convenient, especially when you're exhausted after work. Saving time. Different kinds of food that are difficult to make at home.
Solution (Targeted Action): Instead of trying to get rid of all plastic, you only focus on the 60%. You might start preparing meals on Sundays. Or you look for three restaurants nearby that use packaging that can be composted. Or you promise to make simple meals on weeknights and go to nicer restaurants on weekends—less often, more on purpose, and with better packaging.
This focused method based on real observation leads to lasting change. The scattered, guilt-driven effort to fix everything at once doesn't work.
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when observation reveals unexpected solutions,
Do you remember the story about the brake pad? It wasn't clear what the answer was until someone saw the product in its real-life setting.
This is directly related to choosing products that are beneficial for the environment.
For instance, choosing products that are good for the environment is crucial. "Buy cloths that can be used again instead of paper towels" is the usual eco-advice.
But looking closely shows differences. If you have pets that make many messes, young kids who spill things a lot, or older family members who need special care, the math changes. Sometimes, a system that is reusable performs better than one that is non-reusable.
You might use cloths that can be washed and reused for everyday cleaning, like wiping down counters, cleaning tables, and general tidying. But you keep a small stock of compostable paper goods on hand for really messy situations where cleaning reusable cloths would take too much water and energy.
This isn't a failure. This is observing and then using a method that works for your life, which means it will last.
the trap of ideological judgment
The text says, "When judgment and action are not the same, results suffer."
I constantly see this in communities that live in a sustainable way. Someone talks about how they do things, and right away someone says, "That's not zero-waste enough." "You still use some plastic." "A person who really cares would..."
This judgment makes a distinction between what we see and what is real. It puts theoretical perfection ahead of putting things into practice. And it makes people give up on sustainable practices altogether because they think they can never be perfect.
The ink company had to go through their 700-color phase to figure out what worked best for customers. You may need to try out different eco-friendly methods before you find one that really works for you.
That's not a failure. That's how the observation process works.
Create your own eight-category system.
After all that trouble, the ink company went back to eight main groups. But these eight were not the same ones they started with. They were aware of everything they had learned during the time of growth.
You can use these lessons to live in a way that is good for the environment.
For the first 2 to 4 weeks, pay attention to how you really live your life. Instead of passing judgment, focus on simply observing. Where does trash go? Where do habits that aren't sustainable stay? What would make sustainable options even easier than the ones we have now?
Then create your own "eight categories," which are the most important areas where long-lasting changes would have the biggest effect with the least amount of trouble.
For many people, these could be
Food packaging (takeout and grocery store)
Bathroom items for personal care
Items for cleaning
Buying clothes
Using energy
Using water
Options for getting around
Digital consumption (yes, digital activities do have an effect on the environment)
Look at which changes in each category would have the biggest effect. Don't try to make all eight perfect at once. You could start with just one or two.
This is because peace of mind precedes clear vision.
"When the mind is not at peace, you see but do not truly see," as the first quote said.
Living in a way that is beneficial for the environment can be stressful. Am I doing enough? Is this really helping? Are people judging me? This worry makes it difficult to see clearly.
You miss what's really going on when you're trying to do everything perfectly. When you're feeling guilty about not being perfect, you can't see which changes would really help you.
The brake pad company only found their answer because someone was calm enough to ask, "Why black?" Anxiety makes people do what they are told. Peace leads to observation. Observation leads to new ideas.
Before you change everything about your life to be more sustainable, make peace with where you are right now. Not being satisfied—peace. The peace that lets you see things clearly.
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the rhythm of observation and action
Living sustainably doesn't mean making the best choices all the time. It's about being honest, thinking carefully, and making changes based on what you learn.
Your sustainable practice will probably go through the same cycles as the company that went from 700 to eight informed categories:
Growth: Trying new things, looking at different options, and getting more information.
Observation: Seeing what works, what doesn't, and what your real patterns show
Simplification: Making changes that have a big effect and fit into your real life
Refinement: Making changes based on what you've learned
Progress doesn't follow a linear path. It's like breathing in and out. Growing and shrinking. Simple and complicated. Do something and think about it.
what I learned from a week 's observation
I'd like to share something personal. I decided to base this way of looking at things on my own habits last month.
For a week, I just paid attention to where I was still doing things that weren't good for the environment, even though I was trying to live more eco-friendly.
I learned that I still ordered packages online a lot, and they always came in too much plastic. But here's what I found out by watching: I wasn't ordering useless things. I was getting special ingredients for my diet that stores in my area don't have.
The judgment approach would tell you to "Stop ordering! Seek options in your area!" But looking more closely revealed a more complicated answer: combine orders into fewer, bigger shipments. Ask for as little packaging as possible. Pick stores that use better materials.
This cut down on my packaging waste by about 60% without making me give up ingredients that are good for my health.
That's the strength of seeing things instead of judging them.
bringing this wisdom home
We at Navillera think that living sustainably is like a butterfly: light but important. That way of thinking is similar to what these stories teach.
You don't need 700 choices to live in a way that is beneficial for the environment. You need to make the right few choices based on what you really see in your life.
You don't have to be hard on every flaw. You need to feel safe so that you can see clearly.
You don't have to change everything right away. You need to pay close attention and then make a decision based on what matters most.
Begin with the basics:
For two weeks, pay attention to one part of your life.
See patterns without making judgments
Identify the one or two changes that could have the most significant impact.
Please ensure those changes are fully implemented before proceeding with growth.
Watch how they work and make changes as needed.
Only then go to the next area.
This process is not time-consuming. This will last. Livingmeans it lasts.
The color company learned this the hard way over many years of costly mistakes. The company that makes brake pads found out by questioning what they thought they knew. You can learn it just by looking at your life clearly and calmly.
When your mind is calm, your vision becomes clear. When you can see clearly, you naturally take the right steps. That's not just a way of thinking. That's real-life advice for living sustainably that works.
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