Your Environment is Shaping You | Lesson Learned

Hi fam,

I used to believe success was all about discipline. If I just worked harder, stayed consistent, and pushed through every obstacle, I’d get where I wanted to go.

But over time, I realised something that completely shifted my perspective:

Discipline alone isn’t enough. Your environment is shaping you more than you realise.

I first noticed this when I compared my most productive, high-energy days to the ones where I felt stuck. On my best days, everything flowed—my work, my focus, my motivation. On my worst days, I was busy but going in circles, constantly distracted, feeling like I was moving but not really making progress.

At first, I thought it was just my mood, my mindset, or maybe a lack of effort. But when I really paid attention, I saw the pattern:

• When I was around people who were driven, focused, and pushing themselves, I naturally elevated.

• When I consumed content that challenged me, I gained clarity and direction.

• When my environment was structured, I felt in control and made real progress.

And the opposite?

• When I surrounded myself with negativity, my own energy dropped.

• When I let distractions take over—scrolling, consuming useless content—I lost hours of my day.

• When I didn’t set the right environment for my work, I kept feeling stuck.

This wasn’t a motivation problem. It was an environment problem.

A lot of people think success is about sheer willpower. If I just push harder, I’ll make it. But the truth is, your environment either makes success easier—or makes it nearly impossible.

If you’re constantly fighting distractions, negative influences, or a lack of structure, you’re setting yourself up for struggle. It’s like running uphill with weights on your ankles.

You might still make progress, but it’s way harder than it needs to be.

That’s why I started looking at who and what was shaping me daily.

If you’re feeling stuck, drained, or unmotivated, don’t just ask yourself how to push through. Ask yourself:

• Who am I spending the most time with? Do they inspire me or drain me?

• What content am I consuming daily? Is it helping me grow or just distracting me?

• Does my environment support my goals? Or am I constantly battling distractions?

Because whether you realise it or not—your environment is programming you.

If you hang around people who constantly complain, you’ll start complaining too.
If your daily inputs are low-value, don’t expect high-value results.
If you don’t structure your time, someone else will structure it for you.

The good news? You don’t need to change everything overnight. Small shifts in your environment create massive changes in your life.

Here are a few things I’ve done that made a difference:

1. Curate your circle: Spend more time around people who push you to be better.

2. Clean up your inputs: Unfollow distractions. Follow people who teach and inspire you.

3. Set boundaries: Protect your time. Not every meeting, message, or event deserves your attention.

4. Create structure: Plan your days with intention instead of reacting to everything.

Every small improvement in your environment reduces the friction between you and your goals.

This week, take one action: Make one intentional change to your environment.

It could be as simple as:

• Spending more time around someone who inspires you.

• Changing what content you consume.

• Setting a structured, distraction-free morning routine.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. But start today, and I promise—you’ll feel the difference.

Let me know what one change you’re making this week.

Cheers,

Markus