Photo credit: Kris Krug via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
Step 2: Environment – Structure Your Environment (Getting Your Ass to the Gym – Ramit Sethi; Using Clutter to Your Advantage – Kevin Hogan)
This is one thing I learned from a parenting class I took. The biggest opportunity to reduce your stress level with your kids is to structure the environment.
For instance if you don’t want your toddler getting into the pots and pans in the kitchen (or the medicine cabinet) put a lock on them. We did this with my kids early on. We had magnetic locks on the lower cabinets and it was awesome.
You could do the same with putting bumpers on the corners of tables or the plug covers in electrical outlets. The idea is not to make your house a bubble, but to just take the big risks out of play.
It is the same principle when you’re trying to hit your goals. Your environment plays a huge role in your success.
Hang around with producers and high achievers who support you and your goals, and you’ll find it is much easier to hit your targets. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of friends who are couch potatoes or hang out in bars, you may find yourself succumbing to the same temptations and watching your goals evaporate in front of you.
Want to get to the gym and get your workout it? Ramit Sethi advises putting your shoes and workout clothes right next to your bed. That way when you wake up you just pull on your workout clothes, slip into your shoes, and head out the door. No need for big decisions when you’re still groggy. Fewer chances for your well-intentioned workout plans to fall apart.
Or say you want to stay consistent in writing your blog posts or you want to write a book. Most people think you’d be more productive with a clean house and desk. That way you’d have little to distract you. But often that is the exact wrong thing to do. Clutter is ideas. I’ve heard of copywriters (the people behind the advertisements and web pages that get you to buy things) having the best ads scattered around on their floor in order to be a constant source of ideas for their next project. I know having a running list of ideas in front of me and listening to various podcasts on the way to work often give me the inspiration to write these blog posts.
And if you’re looking to lose weight, eliminating diet-killing junk foods from your pantry or countertops will do more to keep you on track than your willpower before bed.
And what about gym choice? Selectively choosing a gym that is across the street from your office or on your way home rather than one close to your house might just be the ticket to keeping your workout routine going when going home first might cause you to miss.
Now what about the fun part? Yes, there really is a chance to have fun with this.
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