Change Your Environment, Change Your Life

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 50 seconds

You don’t rise to the level of your willpower - you fall to the level of your environment.

Success isn’t about grinding harder - it’s often about setting yourself up to thrive.

If you change your surroundings, you will change your life.

I was first inspired to create this visual after reading today’s resource Willpower Doesn’t Work by Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

Environment design plays a huge role in your ability to succeed.

If you are surrounded by things that distract or demotivate you, you will struggle to make serious progress.

Let’s hear from someone that knows a bit about how to set yourself up for success:

You don’t need to force better habits - you need to create surroundings that make them inevitable.

We tend to glorify willpower - as if discipline alone determines success.

You’ve likely seen that hustle-preacher tell you that “You just need to lock-in!”

But research, and experience, say otherwise.

For example, a famous study by psychologist Roy Baumeister found that willpower is like a muscle - it can be depleted with use.

In one experiment, participants who resisted eating cookies gave up much faster on a difficult puzzle than those who hadn’t used their willpower beforehand.

The takeaway? Relying on sheer willpower is a losing strategy.

In Willpower Doesn’t Work, Benjamin Hardy argues that the most effective way to grow is to design your life to support your goals.

Don’t rely on inner resistance, but instead remove outer friction.

Here are 3 ways to make your environment work for you:

1. Shape your space. 
   Make your environment reflect your values.
   Declutter, add reminders of what matters, and remove distractions.

2. Upgrade your inputs. 
   Surround yourself with people, media, and energy that reflect who you want to become - not who you’re trying to outgrow.

3. Build in friction - or flow. 
   Want to quit a habit? Make it harder.
   Want to start one? Make it easier.
   Your surroundings can do half the work.

Let’s dive deeper into today’s wisdom with these 3 journal prompts:

• What parts of my environment are quietly pulling me away from the life I want?

• What could I change in my spaces to support my growth?

• How might I become more intentional about what (and who) I allow to influence me?

Want to learn more about journaling? Join Journal Wiser today!

If you want to learn more about this idea, check out today’s resource: Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy.

This book challenges the myth of self-discipline and shows how your environment - not your effort - is the key to real change.

It’s full of practical strategies to redesign your life, remove temptation, and build identity-based habits that last.

Consider supporting your friendly local bookstore by purchasing a copy there.

Alternatively, you can learn where you can find one online here.

If you have any feedback on the WISER Newsletter, I would love to hear it! Simply reply to this email, and I will get back to you. Alternatively, just DM me on social media.

You can find my social links and learn how to work with me here.

Catch you in the next issue!

Thanks,
Michael