One of my favorite quotes from James Clears’s book Atomic Habits is, “You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”
When we set out to build new habits that reflect the desired outcome, we often need to remember what that looks like in the surrounding environment.
Our environment is the areas in our lives that influence us and give us social cues of what is and is not acceptable.
If I know I need to eat more vegetables but don’t have them at home and easily accessible, then it will be almost impossible for me to accomplish this habit.
But if I stock up on frozen veggies and a few easy-to-grab veggies like carrots and celery, I can bring them to work with me. Then I am more likely to keep this habit since they are easily accessible.
Let’s look at the top 3 environments we must consider when making lasting habit change.
Home
Your home environment must reflect what you want to accomplish. For example, keep snacks out of the house if you struggle with snacking. On the other hand, if your goal is to eat more fruits, have a variety of fruits on hand.
It is easier to control your environment if you live alone. However, if you share your space, have a vulnerable conversation with your spouse, roommates, and others sharing your home environment.
You will want to discuss what you are trying to accomplish, how they can support this, and the changes you need to achieve your goal.
Work
Work is another place you will spend a lot of time. You are less in control of this environment than at home, but there are still steps you can take to support your habits.
Pack your lunch the night before with foods that support your goals. If you eat out for lunch, keep a handful of menus of healthy takeout places and list meals that fit your goals.
Social
Think of the top three people in your life that you spend the most time with. They are most likely the three people with the most influence on you. Similar to the conversation you will want to have with your family, you will want to make known your goals and that they may notice you doing some things differently because of what you are trying to accomplish.
Ensuring your environments align with what you are trying to accomplish gives you the best chance of your habits sticking long enough for you to see their impact.
What is one change in your home, work, or social environment you will make this week?
Your Nutrition Sherpa,
Josh
