“Environment is stronger than will-power” – Paramahansa Yogananda via @JackCanfield
(Click to Tweet!)
The environments that we live in—all nine of them—either inspire us or expire us. They facilitate our success or they detract from our success. They energize us or they drain us. They relax us or they stress us. The good news is that we have a lot of control of the environments that affect us. We can de-clutter our office, create better filing systems, paint a wall, redecorate a room, clean out the garage, join a health club, hire a personal trainer, buy a treadmill or some free weights, join a yoga class, join a mastermind group, move to a new area, take walks in the park, schedule more time with friends, stop hanging out with negative people, hire a coach, hire a financial planner, join an investment club, feng shui your home or apartment, or subscribe to a positive magazine.
While it is true that our environments exert a lot of control over our feelings and behavior, we have the power to create environments that positively impact us.
The only thing you can do to transform an environment is to add something (a new person, a new piece of equipment, a new belief), delete something (a negative person, the TV from your bedroom, a self-limiting belief, clutter), or modify something (paint a room, set a boundary with a family member, change where you eat dinner).
As you review the nine environments (listed below) that constantly surround you in your life, ask yourself “what could I add, delete or modify in each of these environments that would contribute to my success or enhance the quality of my life?” Usually we are unconscious about the effects that our environments are having on us. Now you can be aware of each of these environments and choose to consciously design them to support you in creating and maintaining the life you wish to experience.
So as not to overwhelm yourself, start by picking three of the nine environments to actively change or modify, and once you see some results, work out from there. You will eventually discover that changing any one environment will begin to affect all of the other environments.
Here are the Nine Environments:
Memetic
- Ideas – Opinions, Concepts, Thoughts, Beliefs, Paradigm, Styles, Usages
- Information / knowledge you receive = coaching calls, books, tapes, seminars, media, magazines, articles, TV, Internet, Radio
- Passed down from generation—language patterns
Body
- Your physical body (hair, skin, nails, posture)
- Health
- Your primary energy source (adrenaline vs. inspiration/choice)
- Psymatic (Observer of our own body)
Self / Intangibles
- Feelings
- Passions
- Values
- Skills and unique assets
- Heart Gifts
- Amount of space in your life
Nature
- Life
- The outdoors – parks, outdoor sporting event, camping, animals, the zoo
- Geography (Southern CA vs. North East)
- Seasons – each have a different energy and influence on
Spiritual
- Spirit / Connections to God / Divine / Higher Power
- Spiritual Practices (Prayer, Meditation)
Relationships
- Family, Friends, Colleagues, Neighbors, People you connect with daily
- Staff / Assistants
- Mentors /Coaches
- Pets
Network
- Customers / Vendors
- The Internet / Web
- Six Degrees of Separation
- Communities you belong to – Church, dojo, schools, children’s sports teams, associations, charities, meetings, Mastermind groups
Financial
- Money, investments, stocks, bonds, insurance
- People who support your financial well being (CPA, employer, lawyer, real estate attorney, financial advisor)
- Tools that support you in wealth (budget, P&L, Quicken)
Physical
- Home, Office / Desk, Clutter
- Tools (Phones, pagers, computers…)
- Possessions (Car, artwork, toys, boats, accessories)
- Gym & Equipment
- Sounds
I wish to thank Jim Bunch at The Ultimate Game of Life, who first made me aware of the Nine Environments and the tremendous power they exert over our lives.
As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre—and watched it grow to a billion dollar market. As the driving force behind the development and delivery of over 100 million books sold through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise, Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success. Jack is America’s #1 Success Coach and wrote the life-changing book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be and speaks around the world on this subject. Follow Jack at www.jackcanfield.com and sign up for his free resources today!
Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition NOW AVAILABLE:
Image courtesy of Coachville LLC.
