Environment of Physical Space:
Review the following to help you evaluate and bring your physical space more in-line with your goals.
DEFINITION:
he environment of physical space is your surroundings, the actual items around you.
This includes: Everything you can see (or can’t see!), touch, hear or smell.
- Home – This is the look and feel of your surroundings at “home” – where you live. This would include organization, clutter in house, decorations, smells, colors, style, usability, functionality, satisfaction with home, pride in home, ability to do what you want there, space, cleanliness, sounds, etc.
- Office – This is the space where you work. If you travel; it might be your car/truck or business bag. It is your “office”. In this space, consider the organization, files, ability to find things, ability to work efficiently without distraction, functionality of equipment, smells, cleanliness (dust on computer screen), life/plants in space, motivational pieces, tools, posters, space to do what you need to, etc.
- Possessions – Your car, purse, interview portfolio, wallet, computer, day runner, calendar, voice mail, mail baskets, clothes, CDs, DVD’s, drawers/cupboards, etc. These can overlap with office and home as they include anything that is your’s … that you use and represent who you are. These are all things that you interact with regularly and their condition impacts your ability to function the best in your physical space.
FOCUS:
Write your main goal: ____________________________________________________________
EVALUATE:
Home:
- What is your favorite room in the house and why?
- What drives you nuts in your home?
- What are the tolerations in your home (nagging annoyances that you just think about but don’t deal with)
- What do you love about other people’s homes?
- What makes you feel comfortable in a home?
- What do you smell in this space? What do you want to smell?
- What do you hear in this space? What do you want to hear?
- What is working about your home? What is not working?
- What room do you always keep the door closed? Why? What needs to change?
- What is embarrassing to you about your home? How does that impact you?
- What themes, colors or items in or added to your home show better who you are and what you are about?
- What structures would support your desires for your home (baskets, 10 min. AM pick-up routine, etc.)
- How does your home environment support or hold you back from your goal?
- What changes to your home would support your goals even more? (get rid of bad food, inspirational objects, etc.)
Office:
- How is your organization and ability to work efficiently in the space?
- What is accessible and what is not that needs to be?
- What do you love about your work space?
- What is not working about your space? (i.e. files on desk my indicate file cabinet is too far away)
- What is blocking or cluttering your space?
- How comfortable is your work space?
- Are the ergonomics of your chair/computer, etc positioned to support you?
- What is motivational in your space?
- What about your space reminds you of your goal and aspires you to focus and work toward it?
- What systems are working in your office?
- What is the condition of your space – cleanliness, smell, sounds, etc.
- What about your work space supports or holds you back from your goal?
- What changes to your work space would support your goals even more?
Possessions:
- What are your key possessions that represent you?
- What is working and what is not?
- What do you love about them? What do you need to change?
- How is your car looking, working, serving you?
- How is your “calendar system” working for you – what is cluttered vs. clear and organized?
- What gets lost all the time?
- What systems do you have in place that supports you?
- What do you need a system for?
- What are you quick to hide? What are you excited to share with people?
- What possessions support your goal?
- What changes in your possessions would support your goal even more?
Summary:
- Do you love spending time where you need to “be”?
- Does your physical space support your goals?
- What in your space distracts you from your goal?
- What are you tolerating?
- Where to start? Take the short profile below:
Environment (from the Coachville Clean Sweep Checklist) Answer each question. Be rigorous with yourself. If the statement is sometimes or usually true, please do not check the YES box until the statement is virtually always true for you. If the statement does not apply to you, or will never be true for you then check the YES box. You get credit because it doesn’t apply or won’t ever happen. Your goal is to design your environment within the next year to get all 25 yeses.
No Yes
___ ___ 1. My personal files, papers and receipts are neatly filed away.
___ ___ 2. My car is in excellent condition. (Doesn’t need mechanical work, repairs, cleaning or replacing.)
___ ___ 3. My home is neat and clean. (Vacuumed, closets clean, desks and tables clear, furniture in good repair; windows clean)
___ ___ 4. My appliances, machinery and equipment work well. (Refrigerator, toaster, snow-blower, water heater, toys)
___ ___ 5. My clothes are all pressed, clean and make me look great. (No wrinkles, baskets of laundry, torn, out of date or ill-fitting clothes)
___ ___ 6. My plants and animals are healthy. (Fed, watered, getting light and love)
___ ___ 7. My bed/bedroom lets me have the best sleep possible. (Firm bed, light, air)
___ ___ 8. I live in a home/apartment that I love.
___ ___ 9. I surround myself with beautiful things.
___ ___ 10. I live in the geographic area of my choice.
___ ___ 11. There is ample and healthy lighting around me.
___ ___ 12. I consistently have adequate time, space and freedom in my life.
___ ___ 13. I am not damaged by my environment.
___ ___ 14. I am not tolerating anything about my home or work environment.
___ ___ 15. My work environment is productive and inspiring. (Synergistic, ample tools, and resources; no undue pressure)
___ ___ 16. I recycle.
___ ___ 17. I use non ozone depleting products.
___ ___ 18. My hair is the way that I want it.
___ ___ 19. I surround myself with music which makes my life more enjoyable.
___ ___ 20. My bed is made daily.
___ ___ 21. I don’t injure myself, fall or bump into things.
___ ___ 22. People feel comfortable in my home.
___ ___ 23. I drink purified water.
___ ___ 24. I have nothing around the house or in storage that I do not need.
___ ___ 25. I am consistently early or easily on time.
___ ___ Section Total
TAKE ACTION
- Review this environment
- Schedule a coaching session if you want additional support
- Explore the questions for yourself & the brainstorm re: your goal
- Start to identify some ways to support your goal through the environment of physical space
- Write questions you have
- Draft a few steps you could take this week to move you closer to your goal!
