Believe it or not, you are as good as your environment. Your environment and surroundings influence and have an impact on you 24*7. They are what can help you achieve your goals in life and be successful or they can kill your ambitions and make you weak.
What does environment mean exactly? When we say environment what we essentially mean is everything that’s around you. Right from the people you surround yourself with, your friends, the kind of space you live and work in, the music you listen to, things you read or watch to the kind of people you follow on social media, and much more. These elements influence how you think, your belief system, thoughts, mindset, and mood. That’s precisely why we said in the beginning that you are only as good as your environment.
Success in life is as much about hard work as it is about having a good environment. So, how do you go about bringing a change in your environment for the better?
As humans, we feel that we are always in control of our behavior and thoughts. But in reality, we are mostly a product of our environment. We don’t usually realize it until we stop and think about it.
Author and entrepreneur Tim Ferris once said, “You are the average of the five people you associate with most, so do not underestimate the effects of your pessimistic, unambitious, or disorganized friends.”
There have been multiple studies that have proved that our peer group and social circle have an immense influence on our behavior. We copy a lot of things from people we hang out with regularly. So, if your social circle has people who could be more motivated, unambitious, and negative in life, then you will also tend to be more laid back and unmotivated. It’s just how we are wired. We all want to feel accepted and wanted and that’s why we adopt the behaviour that everyone around us has. It’s a human tendency to not think of the effects when we want to feel accepted. It’s like an unwritten rule and social norm that we just follow.
For some groups of people, it's absolutely fine to spend their weekends getting sloshed or just playing video games but for a certain group of people, this is when they have their ‘me’ time, de-stress after a long week and catch up on a hobby. Now you need to decide which group of people or environment you want to be in to achieve your goals in life. It’s up to you to stay motivated and move ahead in life.
We all have friends who are not very ambitious or are negative towards even the smallest thing in life. And whether you like it or not, these people have a big influence on your mind as well. We are not saying you need to stop talking to your friends altogether, you can and you should but maybe spend less time with people who have a negative impact on you.
Instead, be with people who have a positive impact on you and your mindset you will automatically see the difference in your behavior. People who are ambitious, motivated, and A-players, can bring out a spark in you and change your mindset. When you have knowledgeable and thought-provoking conversations with your friends, it drives you to think, be better, and bring out the best in you. It fuels you to do better and think bigger.
It’s simply about being mindful of how much time you spend with what kind of people.
Apart from the people you hang out with, the next thing that you need to change to lead a more successful and motivated life is an uplifting work and living space. There have been multiple studies that have proved that when your living and workspace reflects your life goals you are more likely to achieve them.
Ever heard the term ‘pre-farming’? It is a psychological principle, wherein you frame your mind into a certain mode by exposing it to a motivational or specific type of input through messages, quotes, books, music, or any other form without realizing it. This is a powerful and very successful technique to set your path to success by changing your work and living space.
You don’t have to go ahead and redesign your home or workspace completely. Simply add more motivating and inspiring things around you that tell you where you want to be in life. Put up motivational quotes, a to-do list for the month, a vision board, inspirational pictures or books, and even quotes from your role models. This will keep you motivated and focused on your goals and help you avoid procrastinating.
Every message and object either consciously or subconsciously leaves an impression on our mind and that’s exactly what you need to keep in mind when you update and change your living and workspace. Cluttered and messy work environments will only make you distracted. Always keep it positive and motivational.
Success can have a different meaning for everyone. Success need not mean a big paycheck or a profitable business. It can simply mean being happy in life or achieving your daily goals. But no matter what success means, changing and upgrading your environment is the key! For you to live a life that meets and drives you to your goals, it is the environment that you need to work on. An inspirational, motivated, positive, and undistracted environment will always lead you to success. Your thoughts will become more goal-oriented, you will feel energized and motivated and that’s the drive you need to go ahead in life.
