When did you last update your headshot? If you’re like most people, it’s been a while. Mine’s from 2012, and as you can see from this more recent picture, I’m due for a new one. Much more importantly, though, when did you last update your mental picture of yourself? So often we still see ourselves the way we were 5, 10, even 20 years ago, ignoring recent positive changes in our lives and behavior.

“Use it or lose it” isn’t just a folksy saying—it’s a law of biology. Jim Rohn used to illustrate the point this way: “If you tie your arm to your body and leave it there long enough, you’ll never use it again.” Not subtle, but true. Whatever we don’t use, we lose. If a professional speaker quits speaking, she’ll gradually forfeit her polish and poise at the podium. If a musician stops playing his instrument, his hard-won technique will dissipate.

Being well-organized makes life easier, and trying new things makes life interesting. But the two don’t always get along. I’ve recently embarked on an ambitious research project and am a bit overwhelmed by all the information that needs a home. Books, journal articles, my own notes—how do I keep all this stuff straight? How do I make sure I can find what I need when I need it? What’s the perfect system for this kind of project?

In Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, authors Chip and Dan Heath write compellingly about effective behavior change. One particular example caught my eye. Dan Heath struggled with online distractions while writing Switch. His solution? He bought an old laptop with no wireless card and used it to write the book. Heath is a professor at Duke—a high achiever. Why would such a person need to resort to an extreme tactic like using a ancient laptop with no internet access?

Our lives aren’t really ours. Like it or not, we’re all part of a much larger world, and everything we do affects others. When we don’t make our best contribution, therefore, everyone loses. When I don’t manage my time, I don’t just cheat myself out of additional productivity. I cheat you out of the better work I could have produced. When you phone it in professionally, you cheat me (your colleague or client) out of a genuine human connection.