Tuesday's Tip - Environmental Alignment

Langley Collyer
source:  wikipedia.org (New York Public Library)

Yesterday, I did a show on environmental alignment called "Creating A Success Environment" you can listen to here to learn of how you can align your physical environment to support your goals.  Below are 6 tips on creating a success environment.

1. Awareness - For a few days, become aware of your home/work environment and see how it’s affecting your goals. Are you always looking for an ink pen that works or searching for a needed form? Is it easier for you to grab a bag of potato chips than a piece of fruit?  Develop awareness of what is and is not working in your environment.

2. Declutter - Donate, recycle, reuse, or throw away whatever you aren’t using. Declutter one room or area at a time. If you only have time to declutter your pocket, purse or briefcase, then do that. Be patient and focus on one area when decluttering.  The aim is to make the decluttering process manageable with the other demands on your time.

3. Simplify - Challenge yourself and see how you can place items in a more accessible or logical area for your activities. Can you put items in a more convenient place?  Where needed, decrease multiples. You may need only a dozen bath towels in your house instead of 30.

4. To Buy - Determine what you need to buy, if anything, to support your goals. Make sure that it’s truly an item that you need. Also, if you’re buying something to replace a broken item, then be sure to discard the old object.

5. Fix it - Fix what needs to be fixed.  If something is halfway working or if a jacket is missing a button, create a list of items that need to be repaired or replaced and plan on getting those items updated.

6. Maintenance - If you’re really in the environmental alignment mood, you can schedule time on a monthly or quarterly basis to assess and improve your environment.

January is National Get Organized Month so I hope that you all have a chance to practice environmental alignment and create an environment which supports your goals.  Please remember that we're all human so some days your place may be less aligned than others but overall strive to create a home/work environment that helps you to make progress and reach your goals whether it's to be healthier, have more calm or earn more money.