How Your Environment Primed You for Success (or Failure) Without You Realizing

In 1996, psychologists John Bargh, Mark Chen, and Lara Burrows ran an experiment to demonstrate something called priming, which is the idea that subtle cues in your environment can influence your behavior without you being consciously aware of it. They conducted a simple experiment where participants were asked to unscramble sentences that contained words related to aging, words like "old," "bald," and "retired." These words seemed harmless at first, but they were intentionally chosen to prime participants' minds with the concept of aging.

After completing this task, the researchers measured how long it took the participants to walk down the hallway. Those who had been exposed to words related to aging walked significantly slower. They were unknowingly influenced by the words they had been exposed to, and that subtle shift in their environment triggered physical changes in how they carried themselves. The participants didn’t intend to walk slower, they weren’t consciously aware of what was happening, but they did. Their minds and bodies reacted to the subconscious cues they were given.

This experiment is often called the "Florida Effect", and it's one of the clearest demonstrations of how environmental cues influence our behavior, often in ways we can't control. But it’s not just about walking slower or acting like an “old person.” Priming affects everything we do. It shapes how we make decisions, how we interact with others, and even how we feel about ourselves.

What Are You Being Primed to Do?

Take a moment and look around. What’s in your environment right now? What’s on your desk, your walls, or your phone? Every object, image, or word is silently influencing how you think, feel, and act, whether you like it or not. If you understand how priming works, you can take control of your environment to actively influence your own behavior for the better.

1. Your Workspace: Is It Helping You Focus or Distracting You?

What’s on your desk? Is it cluttered with paperwork, personal items, and distractions, or is it organized with only the essentials you need for your work? If your workspace is chaotic, you’re priming yourself for distraction and overwhelm. Every time you look at your desk, your brain will associate it with disorganization and stress.

If you want to prime yourself for productivity, create an environment that encourages focus. A clean, minimalistic desk with only the tools you need can signal your brain to focus on the task at hand. A space full of junk, on the other hand, primes you to procrastinate. It may sound small, but these micro-signals can have a huge impact on how productive you are.

2. Your Phone: A Tool for Success or a Distraction Machine?

Where is your phone right now? Is it right next to you, constantly flashing with notifications, or is it tucked away in a drawer? Studies have shown that just seeing your phone, even if it’s not making noise, can prime you for distraction. It’s like your brain is always on edge, waiting for the next notification. This leads to fragmented attention, which makes it harder to focus on anything for long periods.

If you want to prime yourself for success, make sure your phone isn’t a source of constant interruption. Put it out of sight or turn off notifications for periods when you need to concentrate. By removing distractions, you create a more focused and productive mental state.

3. Your Walls and Surroundings: What Messages Are They Sending?

Look at the images or posters you have hanging around. Are they messages of inspiration and growth, or are they reminders of your past struggles and weaknesses? If you have motivational quotes or images of successful people in your environment, you’re priming your brain to think bigger and work harder.

On the other hand, if your walls are filled with clutter, reminders of stress, or even items that make you feel stuck, your brain is being primed for negative emotions, anxiety, and lack of progress. What you surround yourself with influences how you see yourself and your goals.

Now that you understand how your environment is constantly shaping your behavior, the next question is: How can you use priming to your advantage?

1. Set up your workspace for success: Keep your desk clean and only leave the items that directly contribute to your work. The fewer distractions, the easier it will be to get in the zone.

2. Take control of your digital environment: Turn off phone notifications or, better yet, keep your phone out of reach when working on important tasks. Even the small act of not seeing your phone can prime your mind for deeper focus.

3. Surround yourself with positive cues: Hang images, quotes, or objects that remind you of your goals, your values, and the person you want to become. This could be photos of people who inspire you, motivational phrases, or even objects that make you feel empowered. The more you see these things, the more you’ll be primed to act in ways that align with your aspirations.

4. Remove negative priming cues: Get rid of things in your environment that trigger procrastination or negative thinking. If your room or workspace is full of distractions or reminders of past failures, take action to clear them out. You want to create an environment that supports the future version of yourself, not one that holds you back.

Priming isn’t just something that happens in a laboratory. It’s something that happens in your life every day, all the time. Every object, person, or message in your environment has the potential to influence you, whether you’re aware of it or not. And because this process is so automatic, you don’t even realize how it’s shaping your actions and decisions.

But here’s the power you have: You can control the priming around you. By being intentional about what you expose yourself to, you can prime your brain to work for you, not against you. Whether it’s the way you arrange your workspace, how you manage your phone, or what kind of imagery you surround yourself with, you have the ability to make your environment work for you.

If you’re serious about reaching your goals, you need to stop letting your environment passively influence you. Instead, take control and start designing your surroundings to prime you for success. Your brain will thank you for it.