When I was in high school, my bedroom walls were covered in pictures of cars. Somehow I figured out from a friend to go online, punch in my address on automotive websites, and in two days I had thick catalogs of high end automotive photography. Nobody was the wiser until Porsche and BMW dealerships began calling our house asking for a Mr. Ko. My mother caught on when they clarified they were asking for a Mr. SIMON Ko.
I was thirteen.
I sometimes wonder if I would have gone down another path if I had other images on my walls, rather than the car and entertainment design route, a journey that has lasted 20 years. Would dinosaur posters have made me a more serious archaeologist? Or jet aircraft make me an aerospace engineer?
Our environment shapes us more than we are probably willing to admit. That’s why early mornings are more difficult when it’s raining outside and why a simple bouquet of flowers can liven up a room.
But we can also influence our environment.
The shows “Hoarders” and “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” has taught us that our environment is really an extension of ourselves, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically. One can easily build a fortified prison of their current reality. If it doesn’t make you happy, CHANGE THEM. But you will have to want to change it like you want to pull a knife out of your leg.
The reason image boards are effective is that it keeps you thinking about the things you dream about. The person you want to be. The number in your bank account. The lifestyle you want to have. Those thoughts influence a behavior that increases the chances of those outcomes. They remind you about your goals on a daily basis to redirect your behavior in that moment toward your goals. These moments come in short bursts, but can also dissipate quickly.
It’s not weakness. It’s reality.
Let’s harness those moments and anchor them to physical points. There are areas in your house that you probably go to every single day and at the same time each day. The bathroom mirror. The coffee machine. The refrigerator. These are ideal places to put up a written note or an image. Over time this image will be associated with the thought, place, action, and lead to a behavior. I currently use a French press for my morning coffee. I know it takes a few minutes to boil the water and four minutes to brew. That’s four minutes I can use to do some quick air squats, read a few pages, or shoot out some resumes. Four minutes. Or I could just burn it on my phone to scroll through my IG feed.
Social media can be a time stealer baited with juicy bites of curiosity, FOMO, and attention. Acknowledge when you have these moments because they sneak up on you.
And then they will take you under. Make it stop.
So put out the apple cider vinegar. Put out the floss. Put out the workout gear. Put out that book you’ve been meaning to read. Put out whatever it is you’ve been meaning to attack, at places you frequent. Design your environment to make it easier on yourself to fill in those micro-opportunities.
This is where the magic happens.
Pro Tip: For even easier accountability and tracking, purchase a few digital timers and put them EVERYWHERE.
What are your favorite tips that have worked for you?
Fuck yeah, it's Friday!
Suuuhweeeet Spawn poster. Maybe I should try to workout until I am ripped like Spawn instead of glorifying him from behind the computer screen. I think your post is spot on and I will work harder to seize the day instead of letting social media seize my development. Thanks for the reflective post!