Environments Are Key

If you wanted to study for an exam, where would you rather go?

I’d personally pick the large library on the right. (I don’t particularly enjoy studying on my stove.)

The fruity smell of old books, faint sounds like rustling paper and shuffling feet, high ceilings and solid walls, bright lights from big windows, and countless concentrated faces behind wooden tables staring at computer screens. Awe-inspiring.

My brain’s reaction: “Marc, get to work.”

This is totally unconscious. Libraries are powerful environments when you want to get something done.

Contrast this with being at home. Yes, there are big windows too, but also innumerable distractions. A piano over there, a fridge in the other room, green plants that need some care, and a comfortable couch with a soft white blanket…

This is a place that makes productive work hard (but not impossible – guess where I’m writing this right now).

Your surroundings determine how you think and how you feel. But they also determine what you think and what you feel. And most importantly, what you do.

You might be in environments that aren’t helpful for you. But you can use the power of changing your environment to get closer to your goals, to challenge you, and to shape your behavior in positive ways.

Environments are not limited to physical locations. The same place can feel totally different depending on the context. Your home stops being a place for rest and relaxation when you’re throwing a party, but becomes a place for dancing and laughter instead.

The impact environments have on us is enormous. Let’s use this to our advantage.

This is an excerpt of a post on Mental Garden, a regular newsletter designed to help you become a better human through guided introspections. Read the full post and sign up now.