The Remarkable Power of Environment

How to create your own environment of low consumption and high living

View from the edge of the pool after my daily practice. Photo: Per Håkansson.

I’m sitting in the hot tub by the swimming pool and reading off the splits from my latest practice which are improving both in time and consistency. The fall sun is still bright and warm, making the post swim rest in the hot water a very pleasant daily recovery experience.

I’ve been swimming for almost three and a half months now and here is a quick summary of what I’ve learned so far in this new experiment:

• New habits are easy to create if you are in the right environment. I live only a few minutes away from the pool so it’s easy to get to every morning.

• Progress is a function of both inner drive and external environment. I train next to really, really good swimmers (role models), people that practice to get better and want to compete.

• Progress happens faster than you think if you’re consistent and push yourself hard every day. I’m 30 percent faster today than in July, with a VO2max increase of 15 percent in three months (on the verge of high for my age group).

Swimming, albeit individual, is a very social sport. I’ve made new friends and meet them every day by the pool and in the hot tub for casual conversations.

“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. We tend to believe our habits are a product of our motivation, talent, and effort. Certainly, these qualities matter. But the surprising thing is, especially over a long time period, your personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by your environment.” – James Clear

This part of Santa Barbara, right north of the city, is pretty sparse with activities part from being outdoors and doing sports. The UCSB campus is filled every day, from early morning to late night, with people running, playing hoops, surfing, swimming, playing tennis or any of the other dozens of sports offered.