Ever notice how a weekend getaway can make your problems feel smaller? Or how sipping coffee in a new café suddenly inspires a journal entry that feels like it wrote itself (is that what I am doing here in Paris)? It’s not a coincidence. Environment has a powerful influence on our mindset, decisions and even our sense of purpose.
When we’re caught in the daily grind – especially if you’ve been working in the same corporate role for years- it’s easy to feel stuck. Our routines become ruts. The same commute. The same office. The same 3pm slump and half-hearted scroll through job listings we never apply to. The same boring conversations in the office kitchen (looking at you Camille from Accounts). In those moments, it’s not that we don’t know we want change – it’s that we can’t see how or what needs to change. Or even why. Our mental bandwidth is eaten up by the noise of our environment and day to day.
But step outside your normal surroundings – even for a few days and suddenly the fog starts to lift. We start to see our lives differently. And a little voice awakens.
A different environment does more than just give us a break. It resets our internal compass. When we’re somewhere new, our senses wake up. We pay attention. We feel more alive. And in that aliveness, our thoughts shift from survival mode (“Just get through the day”) to vision mode (“What do I really want?”).
This isn’t just about exotic travel (though that certainly helps and what is more inspiring than being in Paris, right?). Even small changes – like working from a different space, taking a walk in a new suburb, or saying yes to that yoga retreat you’ve been considering for way too long – can give your brain the breathing room it needs to zoom out. It’s in that zoomed-out space that clarity lives.
Suddenly, the decisions you’ve been agonizing over – or worse put on the backburner – start to feel simpler and fresher. The job that’s been draining you becomes an obvious “no.” The business idea you’ve been toying with? It starts to take shape in your mind, no longer tangled in doubt and overthinking.
That’s because environment affects energy. And energy affects clarity. I love that!
When you remove yourself from an environment that’s full of expectations, obligations, and identity labels (boss, employee, Mum, wife, volunteer and I could go on), you get to hear you. Not the voice of your boss. Not your partner’s well-meaning concerns. Not your inner critic who sounds suspiciously like your high school science teacher. Just you – the real, wise, clear, bold version. Love that even more!
So if you’ve been feeling fuzzy, indecisive or uncertain about your next chapter, don’t force your way through it. Don’t white-knuckle your way to clarity from the same desk where you feel drained. Shift your space first.
Because when you shift your environment, your perspective follows.
And in that new perspective, your purpose often walks in like, “Hey girl, I’ve been here all along.”
Try this: This week, change your scenery. Book a solo day somewhere quiet, inspiring, or just different. Bring a notebook, silence your phone, and ask yourself: What do I want next? You might be surprised by how clearly the answer shows up.
Because clarity doesn’t always come from pushing harder. Sometimes it just needs a different view – a fresher and lighter one.
Photo by Max Avans: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-scooter-riding-person-on-the-road-5101785/