A surprisingly common turn of phrase that I have come across in my reading is:
Control your (blank) or your (blank) will control you
Where that blank is filled with:
- Environment - (Willpower Doesn’t Work)
- Computer - (The Things We Make)
- Calendar - (Off the Clock and/or Deep Work (book))
- Projects - (Building a Second Brain)
Although I don’t specifically ever seeing these in this context, I feel like several books I’ve read could be summarized in this way:
- Control your money or your money will control you
- Control the things you buy or the things you buy will control you
Source
- The Things We Make
- Willpower Doesn’t Work (book I partly read that wasn’t worth finishing)
- Deep Work (book)