This Is Holding You Back

If a flower doesn’t bloom, is it the flower’s fault?

Sounds like an ancient Chinese riddle I know but stay with me on this…

First, Imagine you have a plant.

The plant hasn’t bloomed and you’re wondering why.

Do you blame the plant?

Or do you start checking the things that might affect its growth?

Like checking the soil…

If it’s been in sunlight…

If the humidity is right…

There are a combination of factors that must be in place for the plant to grow into a healthy flower.

Now imagine yourself as that plant.

You’re not growing into your potential, into something you could be.

If you don’t like flowers, then think of it this way…

A shark in a small tank will only grow to around 8 inches.

But if you put that shark in the ocean, it will grow to over 8ft long.

The shark didn’t change its DNA or genetics, it just changed its environment.

If you are always struggling you might start to think there is something wrong with you.

There isn’t. It’s your environment.

Unfortunately for the plant or the shark, they don’t have the power to change their environment, 

BUT WE DO!

Your environment (who you spend time with, where you spend your time, and the activities you engage in) impacts you far more—for better or for worse—than you realise.

These things drive your good behaviours as well as your bad ones. 

And what often looks like a lack of motivation or willpower is actually the result of a poor environment.

Takeaway Tactic

Ask yourself this question:

Is my environment moving me forward or is it holding me back?

Next, design your environments to help you make it easy to take action towards the person you want to be.

For example…

• Want to be more productive … leave your phone in another room
• Want to be less distracted … turn off notifications
• Want to be healthy … only have healthy food in the house

The choice is yours, but one thing is for sure, your environment matters.