Do you remember as a kid having a pet goldfish?
You know what I'm talking about...
The little orange fish in the little round fish bowl.
When you thought the goldfish was getting sick what did you do?
Very rarely would you treat the actual goldfish...
You change the water in the bowl, right?
That's life for us, my friends.
We spend all this time trying to "treat" to change us when the problem can be solved a lot quicker by just changing the "water" or the environment.
Lets looks at a few examples...
Do you hate your job? You could try to change, but you'll most likely see the biggest impact from changing your environment. Whether that's a small change like mixing up your office, moving to a different role, or just leaving altogether.
Do you eat ice cream at 9pm? You could try to change your mindset, you could try to fight the urge, but human behavior is a strong son-of-a-gun, and you will most likely succumb. So you change up the environment. The easiest way in this example is to no longer make that ice cream a part of the environment, don't buy it. You could also change where you are/what you're doing at the hour you typically crave things.
You need to be more creative/think more? Do you ever notice that where ever you are you think about similar thoughts every time you're in that spot? Your thoughts at the office are quite different than your thoughts at the cafeteria. Your thoughts in the kitchen are quite different than when you're in the living room or the bedroom. Think about it. So, change up the environment, change the water. For me, working from home so much, if I feel like I'm getting stale I head to the local coffee shop, or on a nice day, head to the beach. That spices things up, gets the juices flowing, and I start to think more creatively.
Do you spend too much money? You could tell yourself "I'm not going to spend it this time." But buying is 80% emotional and 20% logic. However, if the funds are "not available" then you can't spend it. Change the environment. Take your money each time it comes in, put a percentage to long-term savings, a percentage to short-term savings, and then transfer the money you need to pay the bills to a "bill pay" account. All of the sudden, it looks like you have nothing in your checking account. Good! Now, when you drive by that store, you're less likely to whip out the plastic because there's nothing available. Change the environment.
You don't like to workout? You've heard me say it a million times, exercises are exercises. It's not what squat you do, what grip you use, or what piece of equipment you hop on that gets you results. What gets you results is doing a variety of those things in an environment that is supportive, not intimidating, and gets you excited to come back the next time. If you're bored working out, change the water. This could be a new gym, a new class, going at a different time, etc.
Sometimes change can feel like trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
It's hard.
Think like a goldfish next time you're trying to change something.
It's much easier to just change the water then it is to treat the fish.
1% better, right?
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling
PS ~ Do you need a change-up in your gym routine? We're gearing up for our next Strong(her) in Six Weeks Transformation Challenge. If you're looking to get back on track after the summer, drop pant sizes, and feel better, there is no better time. For six weeks, we'll give you all the coaching and accountability you need, plus you'll get to test out a brand new technology we're bringing to Spurling that will help skyrocket your results. Click the link below to reserve your spot and save up to $100 with the early bird rate.
New to STS? Click here -----> Strong(her) in Six Weeks Transformation Challenge
Current STS Client? Click here -----> Strong(her) in Six Weeks Transformation Challenge