If you’re lagging behind on working towards your goals or find yourself losing speed on progress, it may be time to take a step back and observe your surroundings. The answer to any stalling could just be your environment.

Think about it. If you’re a ZGYM member and workout at home like me, wouldn’t you want to do it in a place that supports your goals? Here’s how to know if your home or environment is holding you back.

Messy Place, Messy Head Space

Are you training in a garage, spare room, bedroom, or even a living room? If so, is this area a mess? To put it plainly, is it disorganized and unclean? Are there piles of clothes thrown about, trash, old magazines and papers scattered all over the floor, and empty cups and plates stacked around? If these things aren’t already getting in the way of free space for you to move around (which you could slip on or enjoy yourself with!), they definitely ruin the atmosphere. Would you feel motivated to train in this type of environment? Now granted, in some cases, we just can’t get around this- if there are kids in the house or pets, there’s bound to be a rogue toy or layer of fur covering the furniture. But the least we can do from time to time is clear them out, clean up, and make sure we’re training someplace that isn’t a hazard zone! Not only that, we need some organization and cleanliness for our mindset. The more disorganized our environment is, the more distracted our mind becomes. Let your surroundings be a reflection of your mindset.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Another thing to keep in mind is what you choose to surround yourself with. With diet, if you’re looking to adopt healthier eating habits and include more whole foods, the last thing you’d want to do is stock your kitchen up with junk. Cabinets filled with chips and “snack foods”, refrigerator stocked with sodas and microwave meals. These are all things that you’ll be more likely to reach for when it’s time to eat. If you can get rid of these things the sooner the better- donate them to a friend or food shelter, or save them as an occasional treat. Crowd these things out with whole foods; you know them, fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, proteins of choice. Let them overshadow the less-than-ideal foods so that they’ll be the first things for you to choose from. Otherwise, you’re going to be stuck facing the junk on a daily basis. If you’re living with a person or kids with completely different food tastes, see if you can separate your foods from theirs. That way, you’ll always know where your choices are and can immediately turn to them.

Real Vampires

OK, maybe not real in the sense that they’re literally sucking your blood, but there are vampires out there that can, and do, suck out your energy. I’m sure you’ve met one at least once in your life. This person is typically very pessimistic and stresses the heck out of you. You leave the room feeling drained and can’t pin a figure on why you’re suddenly so tired and emotionally worn-out. These are the energy-vampires, and whether they realize it or not, they’re getting in the way of your inner peace. The sad thing is that in some cases these people are our own family, which is beyond our control. Not everyone can get away from their energy vampire all the time, but it’s important to recognize what this person is doing to your well-being and try to resolve it as soon as possible. Talk things out, or, if things get really bad, learn to walk away for your own sake. Move out, or set some really strong boundaries with this person. If they start to belittle or criticize you for your lifestyle, tell them firmly that you’re doing things for your health, and that it makes you happy. In return, they need to respect that. You do you, I’ll do me. Easier said than done, I know, but keep an eye out for these types of people in your life, since they too can affect the way you live and pursue your goals.

If you’re still not reaching your goals, try taking a step back and looking around. Pay attention to your surroundings, from the environment to the objects and foods and people that are in it. If none of these align with your lifestyle or goals, then it’s time to make a change. See how doing so affects the way you think and feel.