The direction in which the Earth orbits counterclockwise (or anti-clockwise) is a result of the initial conditions and the overall angular momentum of the solar system. The counterclockwise direction is conventionally considered as the standard for determining the rotation and orbital motion of celestial bodies.
The formation of the solar system began with a massive cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula. As the cloud collapsed under its own gravity, it started to rotate. Conservation of angular momentum played a crucial role in determining the direction of rotation. Angular momentum is a property of rotating objects and is determined by their mass, shape, and rotational speed.
The solar nebula's initial rotation influenced the direction in which the planets formed and continue to orbit today. Due to the conservation of angular momentum, the collapsing cloud's rotation caused it to form a rotating disk. Within this disk, the planets began to form from smaller particles and accumulated matter.
The collective motion of the particles in the disk caused them to orbit the Sun in the same direction as the disk's rotation, which was counterclockwise as viewed from above the Sun's North Pole. This direction of rotation was preserved as the planets formed and continues to be observed today.
It's worth noting that not all celestial bodies in the universe necessarily orbit in the same direction. Retrograde motion, where objects orbit in the opposite direction, can occur in certain circumstances. However, the overall pattern in our solar system is counterclockwise motion due to the initial conditions and conservation of angular momentum during its formation.