Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues: Order

Wisdom In All Things Special Series

You might say that it was Benjamin Franklin’s disillusionment with a sermon on Philippians 4:8 that was at least partly responsible for his conceiving of “the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection,” that is, his 13 virtues.

A wise life is a virtuous life.  There is an expectation of behavior from someone who claims to be wise. This 13-part series will seek to help us understand a life that is exemplified by the characteristics elevated by this great American statesman.

What This Virtue Means

Order is often misunderstood as rigidity—overplanning, control, or obsession with neatness. Franklin meant none of these.

For him, order was about intentional arrangement.

It was the practice of giving structure to time, space, and responsibility so that energy was not wasted on confusion. Order ensured that important matters received attention and that lesser matters did not crowd them out.

At its heart, order is about clarity.

When things have their proper place and time, the mind is freed from constant decision-making. Attention is preserved. Purpose becomes easier to pursue.

Why Franklin Practiced It

Franklin struggled with order throughout his life and admitted it was one of the virtues he found hardest to master.

Yet he pursued it because he recognized its value.

Disorder, in his experience, led to distraction, inefficiency, and frustration. Order, even when imperfect, created the conditions for sustained effort and thoughtful work.

By practicing order, Franklin sought to:

• reduce mental clutter
• protect time for meaningful pursuits
• minimize friction in daily life
• support consistency in character

Order did not make him rigid—it made him free to focus.

Modern Examples of Order

In a world of constant interruption, order is increasingly rare.

Calendars fill themselves. Notifications demand attention. Work and rest blur together. Disorder becomes normalized.

Practicing order today might look like:

• assigning specific times for focused work
• creating routines that reduce decision fatigue
• organizing physical or digital spaces to support clarity
• protecting time for rest, reflection, and relationships

Order does not eliminate chaos, but it limits its reach.

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Put Mornings In Their Proper Order

Does that first part of his quote sound familiar to you? In looking it up, it is possible that he may be responsible for the phrase: “a place for everything and everything in its place.” It was attributed to a few people, but I like the idea that Ben said it–because that is exactly what he is saying.

Order is both quality and quantity. Every ‘thing’ has its own place, assuming that each ‘thing’ is important enough to warrant a place.

If it is going to be kept, then it must be worthy, and if it is worthy, it must have a place. “Things” without places, are perhaps “things” that should not have a place. This is hinted at in the definition of order: “arrange (something) in a methodical or appropriate way.” (emphasis mine)

Taking the time to bring about order is to take the necessary time to prioritize what is essential. Doing so, as the latter part of Franklin’s statement reads, will allow you “room” for your business. That is the real work or focus of your life.

Benjamin hoped having order “would allow [him] more time for attending to [his] project and [his] studies.” To ensure that order would allow him the space to tackle more pressing and valuable concerns, here is how Benjamin Franklin ordered (it is actually titled ‘scheme’) his day:

Morning (5a-8a)
“Rise, wash, and address Powerful Goodness! Contrive the days business, and  take the resolution of the day; prosecute the present study, and breakfast.”

Work (8a-12p)

Noon (12p-2p)
“Read, or look over my accounts, and dine.”

Work (2p-6p)

Evening (6p-10p)
“Put things in their places. Supper. Music, or diversion, or conversation. Examination of the day.”

Sleep (10p-5a)

I was immediately taken by the fact that he had an excellent morning routine, not to mention that he allowed 3 hours for it! He started his day with the proper order of things. His addressing the “Powerful Goodness” went something like this:

“O powerful goodness! Bountiful Father! Merciful Guide! Increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest. Strengthen my resolution to perform what that wisdom dictates…”

Bringing Order

If you wanted to dig into the morning routine, I tried to make the argument that you really ought to become a morning person. Here are a few other points I would highlight about bringing order to your life:

• Find a place for your keys. I mean this both literally, and figuratively. Make it easy to eliminate the potential daily frustrations and distractions!  Even by just having a place for your phone and keys. Having fewer, or easier, decisions to make is one advantage of order.
• Order creates time and space. When you prioritize, and place those things where they need to go, order will create space in your life and your schedule. It is almost like a reset. You clear the clutter and establish a starting point for building order into each day.
• Be your own critic. In order to maintain order, you’ll want to consistently evaluate how you spend your time–and ban the offenders! Being particularly critical of those things that don’t have a place, or, have a place, but shouldn’t.

How to Practice Order This Week

Franklin approached order incrementally, not obsessively.

To begin:

• Choose one area of disorder
  This might be your morning routine, workspace, calendar, or digital environment.
• Assign place or time intentionally
  Decide when something will be done—or where it belongs—and honor that decision.
• Resist overcorrection
  Order grows through consistency, not perfection.
• Reflect at week’s end
  Did structure reduce stress? Did clarity increase focus? What resisted order most strongly?

Order grows through gentle discipline sustained over time.

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