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Why Your Environment Always Wins
Stronger willpower gets you nowhere.
Parves Shahid
December 10, 2024
I have a complicated relationship with ice cream.
Actually, no - I have a very simple relationship with ice cream: if it's there, I'll eat it.
All of it.
And like every "wellness journey" enthusiast, I tried solving this with willpower:
Positive affirmations (while eating ice cream)
Setting intentions (to buy more ice cream)
Practicing mindfulness (about which flavor to eat next)
You see where this is going.
Unfortunately, willpower is like a phone battery - impressive in the morning, dead by dinner.
Gif by abcnetwork on Giphy
The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to be stronger and started being smarter.
Instead of building better willpower, I built a better environment.
The science here is fascinating: studies show that people with the "strongest" willpower don't have more of it - they need it less. They're not resisting temptation; they're avoiding it entirely.
Think about it: Your brain makes about 35,000 decisions every day. That's 35,000 chances to either a) Exhaust your willpower or b) Let your environment do the heavy lifting. (The 35,000 theory is widely cited, but I can’t find the source, sorry)
Back to my story and why this isn't just theory.
When I finally got serious about the ice cream situation, I didn't download another habit tracker. I cleaned out my freezer.
After all those books, shoutouts to James Clear Charles Duhigg, Andrew Huberman, and infinite Instagram Reels, I suddenly realized that getting healthier wasn't about winning an internal battle every night. It was about winning it once at the grocery store.
And by once, I mean by NOT purchasing my partners in crime.
The Winning Pattern is Simple:
— Stop fighting your environment
— Start designing it
— Make good choices boring
— Make bad choices inconvenient
Because let's be honest: no amount of motivational quotes will overcome a kitchen full of your favorite temptations. The chocolate chip cookie peanut butter ice cream cake brownie doesn't care about your vision board.
Why don’t we tackle some of the usual suspects when it comes to being better —
Want to read more? Put books by your bed, not your phone.
Want to eat better? Make your kitchen look like a nutritionist's Instagram.
Want to exercise? Sleep in your gym clothes (actual life hack, slightly desperate, totally works, just put on that deo and get going).
So, next time you're trying to change something,
Don't ask:
"How can I be more disciplined?"
Ask:
"How can I make this a no-brainer, easy, and frictionless?"
Discipline isn't about having iron willpower; it's about being smart enough to stack the deck in your favor.
More often than not, it’s about removing blocks, not adding things.
Trust me, do this, and your future self will thank you—but not while eating ice cream.
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