Get Out!
The Idea:
“Moving can instantly improve your situation. If you find yourself in an environment that hurts what matters to you the most, get out!”
The Story:
For the past month, I have done something simultaneously exciting and damaging - traveling in China for 30 days straight.
Boy, was the trip fun! I grew up in China until moving to America as a teenager, but have rarely gone back since. Now the pandemic is over and there are no more lockdowns, we went there to visit family and travel. We visited 8 cities, hugged pandas, made out with terracotta warriors, did yoga in the Forbidden City, played laser tag on the Great Wall, and ate so many Peking ducks that we might have altered the Chinese duck census.
That said, this type of indulgence has repercussions - my productivity level went from that of a Navy Seal to a crippled seal. Now I feel like I’m in?the scene in Hangover, where I wake up from a crazy night dazed and confused, trying to rediscover myself.
It wasn’t because I didn’t try. I hunted down Starbucks as if they were oases in deserts and wrote there almost every day. Yet, my well of creativity ran dry, and I simply couldn’t write the good stuff I wanted to.
领英推荐
What happened? Well, the environment just wasn't right for me. There are four times as many people in China as in the United States, and you are constantly flowing in a sea of bodies. You can’t help but overhear others talking, be it business or gossip. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to meditate in the middle of a club where the DJ was high on drugs.
My preferred writing spot is in my car by myself, and preferably by the California beach. My thoughts need to flow quietly, without distraction. China was anything but that.
As soon as I flew back to California and drove to the beach, I was back in my creative comfort zone. The sensory overload was gone, and the words started flowing out of my fingers again.
This instant change made me realize how much impact your environment can have on your mood, behaviors, and productivity.
What matters to you the most? Are you a creator? An entrepreneur? A salesperson? No matter who you are, look around. Is your environment conducive for you to achieve your goals? Are you surrounded by people who inspire you and push you forward? Or are you tempted by distractions and other people’s emergencies constantly?
If the answer is the former, dig in and find your success comfort zone. You will thrive there. If the answer is the latter, get out! You don’t have to move countries, but find your secret hideout where you can be in your element.
Sometimes, moving is the easiest way to become a better you.