Is your environment negatively impacting you?

October 29, 2012 at 12:45 AM
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"Environment is stronger than will power."

—Guru Paramahansa Yogananda

The environments we live in—all nine of them—either inspire us or expire us. They facilitate our success or they detract from it. They energize us or they drain us. They relax us or they stress us out. The good news is that we have a lot of control over our environment.

For example, we can de-clutter our offices, create better filing systems, paint the walls, redecorate our rooms, clean out our garages, join health clubs, hire personal trainers, buy treadmills or free weights, join yoga classes, join mastermind groups, move to new areas, take walks in the park, schedule more time with friends, stop hanging out with negative people, hire coaches, hire financial planners, join investment clubs, feng shui our homes or subscribe to magazines that raise our spirits. It is true that our environments exert a lot of control over our feelings and behaviors, but it is also true that we have the power to create environments that positively impact us.

The only way you can transform an environment is to add something (a new person, a new piece of equipment, a new belief), delete something (a negative person, the TV from your bedroom, clutter, a self-limiting belief) or modify something (paint a room, set a boundary with a family member, change where you eat dinner).

As you review the nine environments, ask yourself "What could I add, delete or modify in each of these environments that would contribute to my success or enhance the quality of my life?" Usually we are unconscious of the effect our environments are having on us. Be aware of these environments and consciously design them to create and maintain the life you wish to experience.

  • Memetic. Ideas (opinions, concepts, thoughts, beliefs, paradigm, styles, usages); information/knowledge you receive (books, tapes, seminars, media, magazines, articles, TV, internet, radio); language patterns.
  • Body. Your physical body (hair, skin, nails, posture); health; your primary energy source (adrenaline vs. inspiration/choice).
  • Self/intangibles. Feelings, passions, values, skills and unique assets; heart gifts; amount of space in your life.
  • Nature. Life; the outdoors (parks, outdoor sporting events, camping, animals, the zoo); geographical location; the seasons.
  • Spiritual. Spirit/connection to God/the divine/higher power; spiritual practices (prayer, meditation).
  • Relationships. Family, friends, colleagues, neighbors; people you connect with on a daily basis; staff/assistants, mentors/coaches; pets.
  • Network. Customers/vendors; the Internet/web; "Six degrees of separation"; your communities (churches, dojos, schools, children's sports teams, associations, charities, meetings, mastermind groups).
  • Financial. Money, investments, stocks, bonds, insurance; people who support your financial well being (CPAs, employers, lawyers, real estate attorneys, financial advisors); tools that support you in wealth (budgets, P&L statements, Quicken).
  • Physical. Home, office/desk; clutter; tools (phones, pagers, computers); possessions (cars, artwork, toys, boats, accessories); gym equipment, sounds.

So as not to become overwhelmed, start by picking three of the nine environments to actively change or modify. Once you see some results, work on from there. You will eventually discover that changing any one environment will begin to affect all the others—and your life.

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Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.

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