We recently renovated our 90s kitchen. Total dream. I could wipe those benches all day 🤩
As part of the revamp, we bought a new round dining table.
We’ve never had a round table before and if I’m being honest, I needed some convincing. It felt… odd. It also took two months longer than it should have to arrive because the courier was a nightmare. But I digress…
So whilst we had got used to eating on the floor of our lounge room – picnic style – I was anxiously awaiting it’s arrival.
It arrived a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it instantly.
But pretty quickly, I noticed something else.
We chat differently around the table.
Which makes sense, because we’re actually round the table.
We’re also playing way more card games. We’ve always been a card-loving family, but now we just leave the cards in the middle of the table. So we find ourselves jumping into a quick game of Monopoly Deal over breakfast, or finishing the night with the (family version 🤪) of Cards Against Humanity.
It’s subtly changed the way we gather.
And I know it’s because of one small tweak to our environment.
Environmental design.
It’s something I talk about all the time with the women in my GLOW10 Tribe, in physio sessions and in coaching. But clearly, I needed the reminder too.
When it comes to habits, routines, and behaviours that support our healthiest selves, your environment gives you the biggest bang for buck.
Not an overhaul.
Not a new plan.
Not setting your alarm for 4:45am.
If you’re trying to build a home exercise routine, for example, you could:
➡️ Set up a small corner with your mat and weights so they’re always visible
➡️ Lay out your workout clothes the night before
➡️ Create a playlist you love and only use for training
➡️ Stick your weekly workout plan somewhere you can see it
➡️ Schedule your session into your diary like an appointment
(These suggestions are straight from my 44 Hacks Cheatsheet for Exercise Consistency. Reply to this email 44HACKS if you want me to send you a copy)
All of these aim to remove friction. Increase visibility. Make it obvious.
At the moment, I’m practising a 40-30-20-10 daily stack. I’m sharing it on Instagram daily and I talked about it in this week’s podcast episode.
I’m using these principles to get this done too.
💛 I stack my strength session immediately after pulling into the garage. I walk straight into the gym before heading upstairs.
💛 I put the dog in the car before I drop the boys at the bus stop so I’m forced to get my walk in before coming home.
💛 I’ve put my tick chart on the fridge where I can see it
No decisions. Just flow.
At the end of the day, we are products of our environment, whether we realise it or not.
If you leave things to chance, the messy kitchen, the full inbox, or the washing pile will win every time.
The easier something is to do, the more likely you are to do it.
So before you:
Join a new gym
Find a “better” program
Wait until you have the perfect equipment
Pause.
Ask yourself:
How can I adjust my environment right now to make this habit easier?
Small tweaks. Big shifts.