Why Create an Environment of Success?
Picture this. In the span of a week you have two 90 minute presentations to give to people who can make or break the next chapter of your future.
You have never given this type of presentation before nor have you presented for that long.
You've been going non-stop for months. You want some fun time, but you have this presentation lingering over your head.
Each day that passes by, you get more and more anxious and overwhelmed.
This story and any one you can relate to like it, is good enough reason to create an environment of success.
What Can Give You the Motivation You Need?
I learned this concept of creating an environment of success from Jim Kwik. I was not looking for it. One night I was looking through motivational videos on YouTube and I found one of his.
It was featured in a video by MulliganBrothers called HACK YOUR MIND – Jim Kwik on Procrastination and Habits | VERY INSPIRING!.
At around minute 2:58 he says,
When I’m thinking about when I want to transform or transcend or make a real positive change, I’m looking at all the other areas of our self. I’m looking at, for example our environment. Are people setting up their environment to win? Change doesn’t just happen at this level of behavior but what you have to change is the environment.
Listening to him changed my life in a short period of time.
How Changing Your Environment Changes You
I was quickly able to realize that in creating a change in your environment, it helps you…
- do what you want to do, desire to do, or dream of doing
- where you are struggling
- where you believe you may be lacking
So to help you out here, I created a video. In the video I share how creating an environment of success is helping me and where I have changed my environment.
I also spell out those areas below.
Examples of an Environment of Success
1. Prepare your workout environment in advance
For example, I flew to Austin, Texas after work.
By the time I arrived at my hotel from the East Coast it was 12:45 am CST. That was 1:45 am my time (EST).
It was also about four hours into what is usually my sleep time. Not only that, my body clock would naturally wake in three hours.
Before going to bed I set up the room for an environment of success.
Success for me was sticking with the plan to run four miles that morning. So how did I create that environment of success?
I laid out all my running gear before going to bed. I knew even with getting little sleep, I was still going to wake up around 4 to 5 o’clock in the morning.
At that hour it would still be dark. I was not in the room alone. Therefore, I did want to be searching in the dark for my things.
More importantly, I was mentally preparing to take action on what I said I wanted to do by setting up an environment for success the night before.
Not only did I get up to run after getting little sleep, I also ran 4.65 miles instead of four miles I had planned to run.
2. Create a work or morning routine
Do what gets you focused to have a productive and value filled day. That is what I keep reminding myself to do each day. Before I had that frame of mind my before work routine, especially, was everything but productive. (Check out how that did not work out so well.)
Here I will talk about my work routine. I will leave the at home morning routine for the next post.
As for work, when I get to the office, the laptop goes on the docking station to start the boot up process. While the laptop is doing its thing, I place my coat in the coat closet (if it is winter time), then I head to the rest room.
After I return to the desk I do the second step to boot the laptop. I don’t start working right way, however.
The environment of success starts by sitting at the desk with my eyes closed and saying a prayer. It is a prayer of gratitude, thanks, and help and assistance.
The latter is done because I struggle with asking for help. My goal is to get better with that.
I have finally come to learn, albeit the hard way, that asking for help assists with success. No successful person has ever gotten to their level of success on their own.
And I can tell you first hand that had I been more willing to ask for help, I would have accomplished a great deal more in my life.
Don’t be like me. Ask for help. Also, create a morning routine routed by creating an environment of success.
3. Change your diet
I sometimes get caught up with what I don’t have or what I believe I lack.
One particular example that comes to mind is when I was feeling foggy, confused, and overwhelmed. Those emotions were all because of what I believe I lacked.
More accurately, I was going through some thangs because I was not creating an environment of success.
How so?
Call me crazy, but I believe it was those cups of Dunkin Donuts cappuccino I was drinking. Sounds crazy, I know, but hear me out.
I am at an age where caffeine is not my friend. Even though I ordered the cappuccino with skim milk, no sugar, and no flavor, it made me anxious and out of sorts. It also seemed to make me crave sugar.
That started a cycle of seeking out sugar. I chose cinnamon rolls. The more caffeine I drank, the more the sugar I ate.
How did I create an environment of success?
I did a detox I stopped drinking caffeine of any form.
Here is what happened.
I gained clarity, I was no longer anxious, and overwhelm went away.
As for the feeling of lack, because I had more clarity and was no longer overwhelmed I focused on all that I do have. And for what I do not have, I started asking for help.
Also, get this. I stopped drinking coffee, but have more energy. Amazing!
Your Turn: Cultivate an Environment of Success
Don’t know where to start? Use me as an example or start with something you say you can’t do. Give it some thought. Think of how you can create an environment of success to get it done.
That situation at the beginning of the post is a true story. It is something my sister was going through. I coached her through her struggles.
First I started with having her watch a YouTube video about starting your day right. I followed that up by having her watch Jim's video. We ended our time together by having her list ways she was going to create an environment of success. I also suggested that she write three targets she wanted to hit that day.
Now, before our chat my mother had called. It was to tell me she was concerned about the mindset my sister was in the night before.
Here's the beautiful part. By the time I got off the Zoom chat with my sister she was happy and smiling.
Three hours after our session my sister texted, “Thank You! I'm making progress on my targets today!!”
Four days later she texted, “I've been doing much much better.”
The transformation was quick. It all began with a change of her environment.
Creating an environment success created a speedy transformation for me, for my sister, and it can happen for you too.
Share What You're Going to Do to Create an Environment of Success
In what areas of your life will you begin creating an environment of success? Write them down. For the areas you are willing to share, put them in the post comments.
In addition, start every day by writing three things you are going to target to create an environment to win.