My friend owned a large furniture store, and he was having problems making enough sales to survive.
He had a great location, unique, well-priced furniture, more than enough space, and decent salespeople.
This store seemed to have it all except the level of sales needed to achieve its goals.
I recommended he bring in an interior designer to come in and layout the entire store the way a real estate agent stages a home.
His sales exploded!
People stayed in the store longer, and the average sale doubled!
He still had the Same advertising, Same location, Same furniture, Same salespeople, and Same pricing.
The interior designer changed the environment, and then everything else changed!
Your behavior doesn’t change your environment; your environment changes your behavior.
Your environment is one of the most powerful forces in your life.
A lot of your behavior, which you assume is the product of choice, is triggered or reinforced by what’s around you.
You won’t become who you are — you’ll become most like who and what you’re around.
The process works like this:
· Something in your environment changes.
· This creates a behavior change.
· To adapt to the change, your mind seeks knowledge to adapt to it.
It’s your environment that changes first, and you who changes second.
Dan Buettner of National Geographic explored cultures and civilizations to identify which behaviors and environments lead to the healthiest, longest lifespans.
He labeled these areas as Blue Zones or places in which people live longest and are the healthiest.
One such place is Ikaria, Greece.
The land is difficult, making importing near impossible.
This is why the people who live there eat very little processed food.
They don’t need willpower to eat well.
It happens naturally because of their environment.
If you want to change your life, you must change your environment.
Want to become a better person?
Surround yourself with people who embody the traits you want to develop. Find high-achievers and spend time with them, and you will start to adapt to their mannerisms, thought processes, and lifestyles. Adopt people into your life that intimidate you because of their success!
Want to be a healthier person?
Make healthy choices the most accessible option—pre-plan and prep food for the week. Buy smaller plates, and never go to the grocery store hungry. Make it HARD for yourself to eat unhealthily.
Want to be more productive?
Place yourself in a situation where productivity is the path of least resistance. Get software to block social media to help overcome procrastination by putting your willpower on autopilot. Stick to your calendar and learn to say no to distractions.
Like my friend’s furniture store, you do not have to do an extreme makeover on your life.
Just make one small change to your environment today to make it easier for you to choose the right thing and more challenging to choose the wrong one.
Since we are a product of our Environment, you must learn to Design it to give yourself an advantage!
So if you want to work on improving your habits, take a look around yourself and see how you can make it more convenient.
Wanting something done is not enough.
If you want a specific outcome, you need an environment that gets you closer to it.
Find Your Passion…Find Your Life!