1 Idea
Your Environment
I've been thinking a lot about how a certain environment can affect you.
There are several layers to this:
- Your behaviours - if the majority of people in the environment behave a certain way you'll be more likely to follow suit
- Values - there's a saying about how you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with however I believe you begin to shape your values similarly to there's.
- Mood - probably the most obvious. If you're in an environment surrounded by negativity then it's hard to avoid also feeling this way. Humans naturally cling to negative outcomes because it requires less energy than being in a positive frame of mind.
There's a mutual influence when it comes to either making our environment an extended version of ourselves or blending in because it represents us.
Individuals and their environment actively seek to shape one another to their own image.
We’re constantly trying to make our environment “how we are”; while the environment is constantly trying to make us “how it is.”
Eventually, there's an equilibrium reached.
The environment does become an extension of you - your living space.
But also, an environment tries to shape you - being stressed at work, chilled at the beach.
We subconsciously go into environments and unwillingly let them take their influence on us without thinking about how we could do so in return. It's easier to blend in with the crowd rather than innovate and risk ostracising yourself because you want to do it differently.
2 Positive Outcomes
The Podcast
The feedback from last week's podcast was amazing. Thank you to everyone who listened.
If you haven't done so you can watch it on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
Changing Up My Coffee
My favourite method of making coffee is inverted aeropress - which I do daily.
However, I fancied some change so I reverted to the traditional aeropress method.
The novelty and subtlety in the taste have reignited the excitement for making great coffee.
3 Learnings
One Of My Favourite Coffee Spots In Glasgow
Keeping on the theme of coffee, I tried somewhere new for a coffee this weekend - Spitfire Espresso.
Despite walking past it so many times when I was uni, I never went.
I wasn't super into the whole brunch and coffee scene then lol.
It's now up on my list for a great coffee in Glasgow and good scran too!
Asking Yourself Questions
November was about setting me the challenge of doing 10 minutes of mobility every day.
December has been about practising gratitude each morning while also asking myself a reflective question each day.
The reason I'm doing this is because doing so allows me to delve deeper into the inner construct of my mind. It keeps me acting in line with the person who I want to be.
Journaling is an uncomfortable feeling at first however it can be the gateway to unlocking your true potential.
It's performance training for your mind.
With 2024 just around the corner, you might be thinking about starting journaling. I've got a free resource here with over 70 questions you can ask yourself split into different categories.
As much as I prioritise physical training, its worth nothing if you don't do some sort of mental training too.
If I Feel Like I Don’t Want To Do It, Then I Must Do It
This sounds a bit extreme, I promise it's not.
I've been struggling this week getting up in the mornings through a combination of the dark mornings and feeling quite tired.
I've found myself lying in bed questioning myself over whether I should stay in bed for an extra 10 minutes or just get up.
Professionally, I've felt this tussle as well. My productivity has taken a hit this week from feeling lethargic at times, which has also been affected by having a lot of inconvenient tasks to do.
The type of ones that are just annoying more than anything else.
To get me out of this rut I've been asking myself the question above.
If I'm not wanting to do it, the chances are it's going to move the needle forward in some aspect which makes it worth doing.
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Speak soon!