Our external environment impacts us more than we think

We all have something we want to improve – whether it’s our health, relationships, reduce stress, sleep better, learn more. We want to be more productive, creative, achieve our next phase in our careers and / or lives. Humans are designed to be forward looking, imagining the next big thing…

Yet we are not always successful at implementing these changes in our lives. How many of us start the year with resolutions and stick to them for more than a few days/weeks?

Unfortunately, the common belief on why we fail is due to our lack of motivation or willpower. Willpower is actually in short supply. The more you revert to it, the more it gets depleated. This is nothing new – psychologists have known this for quite some time.

Benjamin Hardy, in his book, “Willpower Doesn’t Work: Discover the Hidden keys to Success” writes extensively on some key considerations for making change sustainable.  One of the key elements is our external environment :

• What surrounds you? Does your work/ personal space support your goals? For example, you are trying to eat healthy but chips are on your kitchen counter or on your desk. Your environment is actually triggering you to do the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. You are trying to focus and write? Do you have your phone, social media accounts readily available or are you in a quiet location with a clear desk?
• Who surrounds you? Do the people around you bring out the best in you? Do they support you & your goals or are they naysayers? Take a look around… You are the average of the 5 prople our 5 frineds spend time with.
• What information do you consume, what experiences are you creating for yourself? Are you the one in “control” or do you have information pushed to you? Do you determine where you are investing your time?

Our external environements shape our internal landscapes more than we think. It is therefore important to create environments that shape us into who we want to be and provide us with greater control over our choices.

You shape the garden of your mind by planting specific things from your environment, such as the books you read, experiences you have, and people you surround yourself with. – Benjamin Hardy

Craft an environement that enables you to be the best you can be and influence your thoughts and choices.