HOW to change your 🏠SPACE & 🚀leverage your LIFE

TIME TO READ: 6 mins

WHAT’S INSIDE?

• Signature Story

• Quote

• Quick Start Actions

• Resources (A few of my favorite things)

Your living space might be the silent architect of your success or the subtle yet powerful saboteur of your goals.

As a busy professional always on the move, I never paused to think about my living spaces. I treated my environment as a place that I came to after a busy day of work, and activities but nothing more. Little did I know, it held the key to unlocking why I struggled to move forward in various areas of my life. 

Yet a few years ago I began to have a recurring dream. I walk downstairs into a room. This room has a small clothing rack at the left entrance. The rack has 3 or 4 pieces of clothing hanging on hangers. In the middle of the room is a couch. The couch feels comfortable to sit in with a thick warm blanket. The room has some large plants to bring nature inside. And in front of the coach sits a stool with a tea cup and some hot tea. The room has large windows where the light can come in. Just outside I hear the sound of nature and the sounds of crashing waves.

I feel safe here. It feels expansive yet not too big. I feel space both in the room and in my body and mind. It has an openness to fill it with possibilities vs. possessions. I feel calm and grounded.

Back in my reality, my home was made up of objects that I used in my day to day life. 

I have used habit strategies by making changes to my living space to help me establish routines, but nothing more.

Think about it, you spend so much of your life in your home. It could be a room, a house, and an apartment. 

People equate cleaning and organization with changing your physical environment. Many just stop there. But it is so much more than that.

Your living space says a lot about who you are when you are not in the room. What you choose to have or not have in spaces, how you position objects, color choices, and maintenance.

Your living space reinforces your core identity; it will give you visual cues to take or not take action. For example, when you walk in my bathroom, you will see my workout clothes and socks and sports bra. Why? Because I want to take action to workout and I know that I will have to use the bathroom when I get home. This triggers me to see the clothes and to put them on. When they are on, it triggers me to get out the house to workout. If the clothes were tucked neatly in a perfectly organizaed and folded drawer, I would not take action consistently. 

What would your space say about you?

We know how toxic being around negative people is when you try to make life changes.

But we don't connect our living spaces to the same toxic energy. It can be instrumental in keeping you at a set point in life, stuck, where you no longer want to be. 

Two quotes that resonate with me:

“What am I doing the hard way that my environment can do the easy way?”- Campbell Walker

"He didn't use willpower or discipline; he just outsourced it to his environment”- Campbell Walker

I started this journey in my own life. A few weeks ago I watched the creative genius of Campbell’s Youtube Channel, “Struthless”. His video “How a space can improve (or destroy) your life” made me question my living space and it's connection to my vision.

As I watched the video in my bedroom, I looked out and instantly realized that my space didn’t align with the work that I was doing over my life. I sabotaged my actions by staying in a living space that painted a different picture.

This led me to the big question: What if you can create a physical space that reinforces your vision/transformation/manifestation, etc? 

I have adopted a more simplified approach with a focus on less stuff. I do this because I hate cleaning and the more things I own, the more I have to clean them. I also value the aesthetic of space, internally and externally. So I own less. But you can be eclectic and have a house full of things you love or deep cleaning and organizing brings you deep peace and joy. For example I'm a fan of Rochelle Stewart (operation_niki on IG and Tik tok) who has the most organized, self care focused and clean home I have ever seen. Her home matches her vision and goals. When you see someone who has a space that just aligns, it is amazing to see. I knew after watching her that I wanted that same alignment in a way that was authentic to me.

Before we get into it. I want to emphasize that this is not a framework about deep cleaning, organizing, spending money that you don’t have to be someone that you aren’t, purchasing into the newest trend, overwhelmed with design choices and color palettes. If those things bring you joy and represent your desired vision/goal or identity, then by all means do it, but that is not my focus. 

The Now

Start with your space now. Assess what your living space says about you. Write it down. Be objective. This isn’t about judgment, instead it’s to gain self awareness of your present moment, set a base line.

The Vision

If you have a vision, goals or desired identity, use that list and write down what type of living space that person would have. Brainstorm colors, postioning, lighting, space, height etc. If they lived in your space how would they change it?  

Or do it in the alternative, what would be your anti-vision and worst case scenario for your space. Once you have that then make a list of the opposite.

That becomes your guiding star.

The SHIFT

Now write a list starting with:

What you need to remove from your space or add? One trick I like to use is to start with an empty room in your mind. What do you have RIGHT now that you would put back in?

What do you need to add to your space.

Now look at how can you arrange your space differently.

Make a list of 5-10 daily actions you need to take or be mindful of. Then write down changes to your living space to make good habits more visible. Write down changes for habits and actions you want to avoid. For things you want to avoid, make them more invisible or more difficult to get to (creating more friction).

Look for ways to create any key tangible reminders to reinforce habits.

Make updates as needed to ensure your living space is a visual reminder of where you want to go.

To summarize 

• Assess your present identity through your environment 

• Describe the type of living space someone with your goal/vision/manifestation would likely have. 

• Add, eliminate, reposition, repurpose, update, change, fix, frame, brighten, darken, to get as close to your vision as you can. Remember that the focus is how your space can create tactical and tangible queues to reinforce habits that shape your desired identity.

• Self assess and update quarterly.

Your living space can be the silent architect of your success or the subtle yet deadly saboteur of your goals. If your living space doesn’t speak to what you want to do, be or have, then it will consistently reinforce the opposite. The key to change is to leverage your environment to eliminate what no longer serves you and highlight what fuels you. Change your space, change your life.

• Space Scan List (5 minutes):

  • Take a brisk walk through your living space. In 5 minutes, note three things that immediately catch your eye. Are they in line with the vision you have for your space? Yes or no?

• Quick Clearing (7 minutes):

  • Choose one small area, like your desk or a side table. Spend 7 minutes decluttering. Remove unnecessary items, organize loose papers, and create a clean, focused space.

• Highlight and Showcase (8 minutes):

  • Identify a daily action you want to reinforce, like reading or exercise. In 8 minutes, make this action more visible in your living space. Place a book on the coffee table or set out workout gear as a reminder.

• Personal Item Reflection (6 minutes):

  • Select one personal item in your living space. In 6 minutes, consider its significance. Does it align with your vision and goals? If not, find a new home for it or reconsider its place in your space. Do this each day to redesign your space.

• Reflect on Your Living Space (Estimated Time: 5 minutes)

  • Find a quiet moment to sit and observe your living space. Consider the atmosphere, colors, and overall vibe. Ask yourself, "Does my space reflect the vision I have for myself?"

• Highlight and Showcase (Estimated Time: 7 minutes)

  • Walk around your living space and identify one item that holds personal significance or represents a positive aspect of your goals. Place it in a prominent position as a daily reminder.

• Adjust Lighting (Estimated Time: 5 minutes)

  • Experiment with your lighting. Open curtains or blinds to let natural light in during the day. In the evening, opt for warm, calming lighting. Adjusting lighting can significantly impact the mood of your space.

• Identify One Positive Change (5 mins)

  • Choose one small item or aspect in your living space that you can enhance to better align with your vision. It could be decluttering a surface or adding a personal touch. Spend a few minutes making this change.