Any meaningful change requires both a compelling vision and a plan of action.
To create a future that makes you excited and proud, you first must get specific about what you want your life to look and feel like. Once you can vividly feel your vision, you can get to work on transforming that vision into reality. This requires an action plan that sets you up to win and anticipates the challenges that might arise.
When these challenges appear, most people tend to use willpower to keep their vision alive. With New Year’s resolutions, for example, it’s common to hear things like “No pain, no gain” or “I can DO this.” Unfortunately, our willpower is destined to fail over time. As humans, we are wired to avoid pain. This means our resolution eventually fails, and our vision doesn’t materialize.
Instead, focus on changing your environment and setting yourself up to win. Your environment impacts everything.
If you’re trying to lose weight, would you put cupcakes on the counter, and stare at them all day saying, “I’m not going to eat those,” OR would you not bring cupcakes into your house at all?
If you are looking to reduce clutter in your life and create more peace, calmness and happiness, change also begins with your environment.
Why not immediately remove the “stuff” that is cluttering up your life and blocking your vision? Is junk mail piling up? Try placing a recycling bin right where you enter your home. Immediately throw out any mail that you don’t need. Cabinets overflowing? Reduce the number of place settings in your kitchen cabinets from 16 to 8.
Get rid of these “cupcakes” from your environment and you’ll have a better chance at turning your vision of your dream home and life into a reality.