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1/ Physical environment is one of the most overlooked drivers of habits and behavior change. It has a profound impact on our daily actions.
2/ For example, if I walk into the kitchen and see a plate of cookies, I'll eat one (or ten) even if I'm not hungry.
3/ Similarly, one study found people drank 25% more water and 11% less soda when more water bottles were placed throughout the cafeteria.
4/ Your environment influences your desires. We often want things simply because we are presented with them.
5/ Moreover, your habits are often triggered by what is obvious, easy, or available to you in your current environment.
6/ Walk into any living room. Where do all the couches and chairs face? We watch so much TV because our rooms are designed for it.
7/ Drive down any major road. It is no surprise we eat so much fast food when we are surrounded by it.
8/ It's hard to resist the pull of what engulfs us. I've never seen someone consistently stick to positive habits in a negative environment.
9/ Thankfully, you don't have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.
10/ Want to practice guitar more frequently? Place your guitar stand in the middle of your living room.
11/ Want to read more? Put a book on top of your pillow when you make your bed each morning. Read a few pages when you go to bed at night.
12/ I used to buy apples and forget to eat them because they were tucked away in the crisper at the bottom of my fridge. I never saw them.
13/ Then I bought a large bowl, set it in the middle of the kitchen counter, and put the apples in it. Now I eat one everyday.
14/ When I wanted to start flossing I got premade flossers and placed them in a cup right next to my toothbrush. Make good habits obvious.
15/ The core idea behind environment design is this: Put more steps between you and bad habits and fewer steps between you and good habits.
16/ The same principles apply to your digital environment. I hide all social media apps in a folder three swipes away from the home screen.
17/ Designing your physical and digital environments is a way to "stack the deck" in life. It boosts the odds of taking productive actions.
18/ Don't rely on willpower and self-control. It is a lot easier to stick to better habits when you are surrounded by better choices.
19/ Fighting your environment is foolish. To maximize your odds of success, you need to operate in an environment that favors your goals.
20/ This is a big topic and I've written a lot more about it. This article is a good place to start: jamesclear.com/power-of-envir…
