Have you ever left a retreat, or a conference, or a seminar feeling incredibly inspired to make a change, only to return home and after a few days find everything the same as it always was?

Or, have you ever read a book or had a conversation with a friend that gave you an incredible idea or insight, but somehow you failed to act on it?

At the time of the seminar or conference or conversation it is common to have perfect clarity and unwavering will. But then… life kicks in. The experience begins to feel less bright, and eventually it may fades almost entirely. It might eventful like it never happened at all.

Far too often the next step is to blame ourself. Or our job. Or spouse. Or our schedule. Or our willpower.

And yet something we fail to account for is an an ever-present and invisible force that influences us. And no, it is not our genetics. It is our environment. (Once we mapped out the human genome we actually discovered it was the environment our genes were exposed to, not the genes themselves that was the dominant factor whether a gene was expressed or not.)

“Your environment is working on you 24 hours a day, where as your willpower only works when you think about it,” explains environment and behavior change Jim Bunch this in a recent interview with Sirini Rao of Unmistakeable Creative.

This is why when we leave the retreat, arrive home after the seminar, put down the book, or part ways with our friend, it is so easy to return to our previous beliefs, habits, actions and patterns. That environment perfectly supports those patterns.

Thus, in order to make lasting change we also must pro-actively also change our environment. We must create our environment to support the habits and beliefs that we by design.

And these changes in environment don’t have to be the life-altering kind. Often small consistent shifts yield the biggest results.

External Environments vs Internal Environments

There are different kinds of environments. Physical, or external, environments include things like our home, the company that we keep, the inside of our car, and the books on our bookshelf. (Each of these examples can be broken down further into microenvironements as well.) Internal environments include things like our thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

Internal and external environments have a powerful influence on us and what we do, even if we aren’t aware of it. A recent study showed that people who were exposed to side bar ads while surfing the web were not consciously aware of the ads, but later were more likely to later purchase the products that had been advertised.

There is also a multitude of research showing the power of our thoughts to influence our behavior, habits, emotions and effectiveness. The influence of how our thoughts and emotions affect our physical health and physiology is the basis of the field of mind-body medicine and mind-body nutrition.

Bunch also explains that all environments “either inspire us or expire us.” They either lift our spirits or dull them. They give us energy or deplete it. And, a positive shift in one environment will have a ripple effect on other environments (and vice versa). So, if you are struggling making change in one area of your life it might be wise to focus on an other area for a little while.

For example you are having trouble losing weight, you might want to give your walls a fresh paint of coat, or moving your furniture. Changes in our external environment have an impact on our internal environment and vice versa, and any positive shift makes the next one even easier.

Ways to Shift Your Environment

Here are some examples of external environmenal shifts

organize your closet

unsubscribe from newsletters that don’t inspire you

leave inspiring inspiring quotes and messages through out your space

shop at a different grocery store

remove unhealthy foods from your cupboards

paint your front door

drive a different way to work for a week

bring your tennis shoes to work and leave them under your desk

Here are some examples of internal environmenal shifts

read inspiring books and poetry

speak kindly about your body

set boundaries

reflect on three things you are grateful for each day

set one goal a day and track your progress

meditate

commit to no complaining for a week

Take a moment to look around at examine your current environment where you are right now. Is it pulling you toward your who you want to be, or away? What is one small shift you could make?

Pamela Malo, MHS, RD, KYT is a registered dietitian nutritionist, yoga instructor, and co-active coach passionate about helping women find more freedom and fun in their relationship with food. She offers mind-body workshops across the country and calls both Los Angeles and Albany “home.” To learn more about Pamela and her wish visit www.pamelamalo.com