Introduction: When Life Demands a Reset
I never expected to find myself at a crossroads where my work, home, and inner world felt tangled together in a way that drained me rather than fueled me. But when a family crisis forced me to stop working for a short spell, I had to reassess everything—not just my time, but my space, my routines, and my overall way of being.
What I realized was profound: my environments weren’t supporting me; they were suffocating me. Work had infiltrated every aspect of my life—every conversation, every interaction, every space in my home. I wasn’t just “doing” my business; I was living inside it, with no clear boundaries between my personal and professional worlds.
This realization led me to revisit a concept I first encountered through Thomas Leonard and Coachville back in 2005: The 9 Environments of You™. The core principle of this work is simple yet transformative:
The environment always wins.
We often think success is about discipline, motivation, or willpower. But in reality, the spaces we inhabit—physical, mental, relational, financial, and more—either set us up for growth or hold us back in subtle, powerful ways.
The 9 Environments of You™: A Holistic View of Your Life
We don’t exist in a vacuum. Our lives are shaped by a network of interwoven environments that influence our mindset, behaviors, and overall well-being. These environments shape not only what we do, but who we become.
Here’s a breakdown of the 9 Environments of You™:
- Memetic Environment – The ideas, beliefs, and cultural messages that shape your thinking
- Financial Environment – Your money, wealth, and budgeting habits
- Relationship Environment – Close friends, family, and colleagues
- Network Environment – Professional connections and greater community
- Physical Environment – The spaces and objects that surround you
- Body Environment – Your physical health, energy, and self-care practices
- Self Environment – Your strengths, talents, and inner world
- Spiritual Environment – Deep connections, sacred spaces, and natural influences
- Technology Environment – Digital tools, devices, and virtual spaces
Each of these environments is either supporting or hindering you. The key is to become aware of their influence and intentionally design them to align with your goals and well-being.
My Own Environmental Wake-Up Call
At the height of my overwhelm, I realized my environments were completely misaligned. Here’s how they showed up in my life:
- Memetic: My ideas were all filtered through the lens of how can I add this to my business? rather than what truly inspired me.
- Financial: My financial environment revolved around my business revenue, without separate mental space for personal financial well-being.
- Relationships: My friends were clients or colleagues, and most of my conversations were about work.
- Physical: My workspace was cluttered, and my aromatherapy “play area” had become a dumping ground for paperwork.
- Spiritual: Even my spiritual practices had been co-opted into business-building.
- Technology: I was constantly on my phone, checking emails at all hours.
Something had to change. I needed to redesign my environments—not just my schedule, but the very spaces and energies that shaped my daily life.
Step 1: Evaluating Your Current Environments
To begin, I asked myself:
- What am I tolerating? (Mess, noise, distractions, obligations?)
- What holds me back? (Unfinished projects, clutter, unhealthy habits?)
- What do I love? (The elements that bring joy and flow into my day?)
- What do I hate? (The aspects of my environment that drain me?)
- How is this environment supporting or hindering me?
This journaling exercise revealed just how much I had blurred the lines between my business and personal life. It was time for a shift.
Step 2: Practical Changes for Each Environment
Memetic (Mindset & Ideas)
- Audit your mental diet. What beliefs are shaping your actions? Are they yours, or are they inherited from society, family, or past experiences?
- Curate your influences. Follow thought leaders, books, and media that support your vision.
- Create a mantra. Mine became: My business supports my life, not the other way around.
Financial (Money & Abundance)
- Separate business and personal finances. Make sure they have distinct spaces in your mind and bank accounts.
- Redefine wealth. Money isn’t just income; it’s also time, energy, and freedom.
Relationship (Close Circle)
- Set boundaries. I stopped talking business with my husband all the time.
- Nurture non-work friendships. I scheduled time with friends who had nothing to do with my business.
Network (Community & Professional Life)
- Be selective. I focused on deep, meaningful connections rather than surface-level networking.
- Give without expecting. Contribution shifts energy and attracts aligned relationships.
Physical (Home & Workspaces)
- Declutter and reorganize. I cleared my office and reclaimed my aromatherapy space.
- Designate tech-free zones. My bedroom and kitchen became phone-free areas.
Body (Health & Vitality)
- Prioritize movement. Walks, yoga, and stretching became part of my day.
- Dress for alignment. I stopped wearing ‘work mode’ clothes at home.
Self (Talents & Inner Strengths)
- Reconnect with passions. I returned to aromatherapy for joy, not business.
- Protect creative time. I scheduled space just for exploration, without pressure to monetize.
Spiritual (Sacred Space & Connection)
- Create dedicated sacred time. I started morning meditation just for me, not as a “productivity hack.”
- Spend more time in nature. This restored my sense of balance and grounding.
Technology (Digital Spaces & Energy Management)
- Turn off notifications. I removed work emails from my phone.
- Consciously curate your digital space. I unfollowed content that made me feel behind or inadequate.
Step 3: Listening to the Energy of Your Business
One of the most profound shifts was tuning into the energy of my business as its own entity. Instead of pushing for constant growth, I asked:
- What does my business want to become?
- How does it want to scale?
- Where does my energy best serve it?
By stepping back and redesigning my environments, I didn’t just create better work-life balance—I created a more aligned and sustainable way of living.
Conclusion: Designing an Environment That Supports Who You Are Becoming
Your environments shape you. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or out of alignment, start by redesigning them. Small shifts can lead to profound transformations.
Take a look around. Are your environments supporting you, or holding you back? What’s one small change you can make today?