When it comes to success…Environment is HUGE

We often admire and compliment friends or coworkers who seem to have so much “motivation” or “will power” when it comes to abstaining from unhealthy behaviors. We admire their ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, surrounded by so much temptation. But is that really the case?

Is it simply that some people are blessed with the ability to say no? Some people are just more motivated than others? Are they born that way? Genetics?

Of course this could be partly true, but the truth is that motivation doesn’t last. It comes and goes! Will power and self control aren’t reliable either. They aren't the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. So what is it?

Well, it seems that there’s another major factor that actually matters more. Environment.

In the book “Atomic Habits,” James Clear writes “ Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. We tend to believe our habits are a product of our motivation, talent, and effort. Certainly these qualities matter. But the surprising thing is, especially over a long time period, your personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by your environment.”

For example, you come home from work and cook a healthy dinner for you and your family - grilled chicken with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus! Yummy! After cleaning up, you answer a few emails, put some laundry away, and finally get to sit down on the couch for maybe a half hour, if you’re lucky! That’s when those delicious double stuffed Oreos you bought start calling your name. You try to resist them, but after a long day, you just want something sweet and eventually you cave. After 4 Oreos, you’ve now put yourself into a calorie surplus for the day and you feel like all your hardwork at “eating well” was wasted.

So how do we stop this? How do we stop the craving? How do we increase our willpower?

That’s a tough one! Relying solely on self control is incredibly difficult and if we are serious about losing weight or changing our lifestyle, self control is not the answer. Don’t set yourself up to rely on something that is very easily broken.

What’s the easiest way to resist eating oreos at night? Not having oreos in your house! If you don’t buy it, you won't eat it. If it's not in your kitchen, it won’t tempt you. But your kids love them! Sure, and so do you! And me! We all love oreos! Does that mean we have to keep them in our house at all times? No. Your kids will also be fine, in fact better off, without constant access to oreos.

Environment is crucial! It’s so powerful! And this is a beautiful thing because luckily we can control our environment and make it work in our favor. More to come on how to use your environment to set yourself up for success!