Positive, productive environments are key to personal success for more reasons that you might even imagine. Obviously, a well-organized, efficient filing system and clean desk will allow you to work faster simply because you know where to locate your work. After all, time is money! But what most people don’t realize is that your environment actually calls you to BE certain ways in your life. For instance, if you are on a diet, but your pantry is filled with Oreos and potato chips, your environment is LITERALLY calling you to fail. The first time you feel emotionally weak, you’ll bust into that snack food and sabotage your healthy-life commitment. This is an obvious example, but what about something not-s0-obvious? Let’s do an experiment. Walk around your house. Look around and notice your space with “fresh eyes.” Do you like what you see? Do you feel positive or negative energy when you look at your furniture, the colors of the wall paint… the pictures on the wall. Walk into your bedroom. Is it calming and relaxing? Is it clean and neat? Does the bed feel and look warm and welcoming to you? All of the possessions and decorations in your space call you to be SOMETHING. What is YOUR space calling you to be?
Your environment sets your mood. The results of several recent research studies at the University of Minnesota reveal that rooms with bright light, both natural and artificial, can improve health outcomes such as depression, agitation and sleep. But even more than this, how you arrange, organize, clean and decorate your space can literally be a reflection of who you are and call you to be a particular way in your life.
The ideal environment would beckon you greatness; encourage you to succeed and have you get present to your power. This type of positive environment doesn’t just happen on its own–it must be created with intentionality and purpose. There are many components that go into making a positive environment that fuels success in your life. In order to create an environment that fuels you, begin by evaluating how your possessions and decorating make you feel. If you aren’t madly in love with each item, get rid of it. If pictures or objects evoke negative feelings, get rid of it. Fill your space instead, with items that evoke joy, confidence and happiness.
