Creating Environments That Nurture Success
Part 1
by Julie Fuimano
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In my marketing materials, I promote the 'creation of environments that nurture success'. Recently, someone shared, "I don't get it. What does it mean to create environments?" Good question.
What Are Environments?
An environment is anything that supports you to be or to perform a certain way. People often don't think of these things as environments, but they most definitely are. Everything around you has some impact on you and how you do what you do. If there is something in your life that is not the way you want it to be, look to see what mechanisms are in place that are encouraging or reinforcing this outcome.
Environments include people (friends, family, coworkers, boss, and other professionals such as therapists, coaches, physical trainers, etc.), structures, and/or systems to keep you growing in the direction you want to go and they are integral to initiating and sustaining change.
For example, a cluttered physical environment contributes to your feeling busy and stressed. And it follows that if your physical environment is cluttered, other areas of your life are probably cluttered as well -- finances, relationships, etc. This constant state of commotion is an environment (a negative one) that keeps your life stressful and chaotic.
To change, you need to focus on creating space -- lots of space. Over time you'll discover that your energies shift from disorder and accumulating stuff to keeping things simple and organized, from turmoil and drama to peace and serenity.
This naturally reduces your stress and you'll want to protect this new state of being because it feels good. At work, if you want to create a workplace that is positive and collaborative in nature, one that fosters greatness in individuals and allows and supports creativity, then you'll stop doing things that inhibit success, stop tolerating those things that keep people from being productive, and design an environment that supports the vision you have for a great workplace.
Environments are a part of the transformation process, but let's be clear, they are external. They will not bring about change itself; they support change and can assist you in accepting change. The transformation taking place is within you; environments are outside of you.
Benefits Of Nurturing Environments
Environments make it possible for you to create momentum around the change that you are initiating. Without supportive environments, it's easy to slip back into doing things the way you've always done them. After all, it's familiar and it's a habit. With an environment designed to support your success, whatever you want to change, it's easier for you to translate your vision into reality, helping to maintain your focus, and it's more likely to lead you to success.
Often, in order to create what you want for yourself in life, you need to eliminate people, things and places that do not support you. Sometimes, this means family. It can mean simply a hiatus, where you break away for a period of time until you gain the inner fortitude to stand on your own and find your own voice.
Sometimes, it means identifying and communicating strong boundaries such as limiting the amount of time you spend with someone or limiting the topics of conversation. Other times, it means eliminating friends or changing jobs because the environment is toxic. You need to take yourself seriously and watch how others influence you. Is the relationship positive and uplifting? Or is it inhibiting, negative and discouraging? Do you feel good when you are with them or do you feel bad?
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