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First, I want to quickly recall what we’ve learned so far about the environment:
Our surroundings influence our decisions, usually without us being consciously aware of it.
We usually take the path of least resistance, doing the things that require the least effort.
Our tendency to lean toward our old habits and automatic behaviors is amplified when our willpower is drained, which usually happens at the end of the day.
Having that in mind, let’s jump into the tactics.
To become the master of your environment—i.e., make it work for you and not against you—you need to use the principles mentioned above to your advantage.
This means that first, you must set it up in such a way that it facilitates actions that bring you closer to your goals; and second, place cues that, consciously or not, trigger thoughts/actions/behaviors that steer you towards your aims.
What do I mean by this exactly? We’ll get to that shortly because first, we need to briefly talk about goals and process.
Shortly about goals
To set up your environment so that it supports your goals you need to first define your goals.
I know it's obvious, yet so many of us go through life without them.
However, if set up correctly, goals significantly increase your chances of success.
More importantly, goals prevent you from going through life without aim or purpose, thus being subject to your environment. Goals let you switch from the passenger’s seat to the driver’s seat in the vehicle of your life.
So, start with setting your goals because they will inform how you're going to configure your environment.
Shorty about process
Once you've defined your goals, it's time to determine the process. The process is the actions, behaviors, and habits that lead you to your goals. A goal without a process is like an apple without a tree—the process generates the goal.
The process is the gap between your desire and its materialization in the real world (“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us“).
Therefore, ask yourself: “what actions will bring me closer to achieving my goals?”
For instance, if your goal was to lose 5 kg by the end of this year, you could define the process as such:
Don't eat sugar
Don't drink sugar
Do intermittent fasting (i.e., set an 8h time window in which you can it and fast the remaining time.)
Make at least 10,000 steps per day
Exercise 3 times a week
...
Okay, let’s assume you have the goal and process defined—now we can take care of the environment.
Knowing that we tend to take the path of least resistance and default to established habits, your first objective is to make your desired actions—i.e., the process—as easy as possible.
Let’s take the process from the example above and try to determine how to facilitate it:
Don’t eat sugar: remove all sweet foods from your apartment and replace them with fruit; when out, always carry a healthy snack with you in case cravings get you; and so on.
Don’t drink sugar: throw out all sweetened drinks; reward yourself with high-quality water, tea, and coffee (optionally, if you must, use sweetener); and so on.
Do intermittent fasting: at home, remove all foods from sight by hiding them in cabinets; whenever hungry, drink sparkling water or coffee/tea; and so on.
Make at least 10,000 steps: listen to favorite music/podcasts during walks; do your phone calls during walks; buy a dog that will compel you to take walks; take the steps instead of the elevator; and so on.
Exercise 3 times a week: hire a personal trainer; start with easy exercises; and so on.
In short, ask yourself, how can you make the process as easy, pleasurable, and sustainable as possible and execute it without compromises.
Next. knowing that our surroundings influence our decisions, usually, without us being consciously aware of it (TK PN: The environment is a bitch, your second objective is to place cues that, consciously or not, trigger thoughts/actions/behaviors that steer you towards your goals.
Therefore, think, what cues—sensations/ideas/people—will trigger thoughts/actions/behaviors that will bring you closer to your goals?
Let’s just take the example from above and list out ideas for cues:
Set reminders for workouts.
Buy a fitness tracker that will show you the number of steps and thus remind you to meet your daily goal.
Track the number of glasses of water you drink.
Follow inspirational athletes.
Write down your goal, put it in a visible place, and read it every day.
Share your goal with others so that they keep you accountable.
Don’t walk by pastry shops.
Train with someone 3
Remove all sugary items from sight (best from your home)
Unsubscribe from social media accounts that post pictures of sweet foods.
Etc.
Relevant notes (PN: )/questions (Q:):
P: Goals illuminate the future: we fear the unknown and goals help make the future less unknown
In the future, develop thoughts on the external, internal triggers, associations, if/then, and so on.
Set up your environment to achieve your goals P: Set up your environment so that it support your goals