Prosper News: February 2006

Dear Student,

We often hear people describe the mood and the employees at Prosper, Inc. as "energetic", "happy", and "excited". All of these adjectives describe a group of people that love the company they work for and love what they do. The greatest part about what we do is that each week we are helping so many people accomplish their goals; we are giving them hope for something better, and the means to help transform their hopes into reality.

The "energy" that people talk about within our company is due to the unselfish attitude that makes Prosper, Inc. thrive. We feel happy and excited because it's hard not to when we are helping others. Helping others is the essence of what we do. Everyone within our company is tied to the same goal: to help students succeed.

Your Partners in Success,

The Prosper, Inc. Team

Oh, Behave!
Changing Our Behavior by Changing Our Environment

Every successful entrepreneur is in a constant state of self-evaluation. From business practices to personal habits, the self-made businessperson is continually breaking bad habits and forming better ones.

It's the middle of winter. Gone are the season's first snow, the holiday houseguests, and the excitement of a new year. And for many, as they concentrate on their daily winter routines, gone are their New Year's resolutions.

A resolution is simple a commitment to change our behavior. It's a conscious decision, something as simple as smiling more often at strangers, or as complex as adopting a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the behavior we commit to change, we should think of it as a marathon – an evolution from one state to another – rather than a one-time decision to do better.

So once we make a decision to be a better person, how do we follow through? There are many principles and methods involved; one of the most important is changing our environment.

Change Your Environment

The environment has a powerful influence on our behavior. Many of our responses are automatic: we drive without paying attention to the road and lights; carry on a conversation without thinking about how to form the correct words to say. With these and many other behaviors, it is primarily the stimuli in the environment that control our behavior.

All of us have habits that occur at certain times and places – we brush our teeth before going to bed, shower in the morning, etc. Both environmental and internal stimuli set off these habitual responses.

When we change our environment, we are trying to change the stimuli that provoke the behavior we want to change. In this respect, there are two basic techniques for self-control: (1) avoiding situations that lead to unwanted behavior and (2) providing stimuli that prompt desired behavior.

STEP ONE: Recognize the "bad" environment.

In order to alter our environment, we first have to recognize it. This may be easy. An overeater can recognize an environment filled with rich, delicious food. An alcoholic's friends may encourage a drinking binge. And so on.

For others, recognizing the environment may not be so easy. For example, habits like smoking or nail biting tend to occur without awareness, even though certain conditions encourage these habits.

It may take a good amount of pondering and self reflection to accurately identify our "bad" environment. It may help to discuss the matter with someone who knows you well – a spouse, friend or family member.

STEP TWO: Avoid situations that lead to unwanted actions. Provide warning signs. Break the chain early.

We don't always have to avoid an unwanted environment entirely. In fact, it's often impossible. When this is the case, we can change parts of it so that it is less likely to produce our unwanted behavior. For example, if your friends push you to do things you'd prefer not do, avoid them. If a particular conversation topic gets you frustrated, steer the conversation away from that topic.

Often, thoughts and fantasies can trigger our actions. Dwelling on temptations makes it harder to resist. Depressive or angry thoughts may lead to unwanted actions. As humans, we are empowered to stop or change our thoughts into something more constructive.

Providing warning signs is another way to change the environment. For instance, setting a timer to ring after one hour of videogames, or a picture of a smoker's lungs placed on the dashboard of the car, are both ways to make our environment more conducive to change.

It is also helpful to recognize that many unwanted behaviors result from a chain of behaviors. Each step along the chain of events precipitates the next step. Obviously, if one wants to avoid binge eating, a person had better avoid the first few steps – journeying to the store, buying junk food, etc. – because it gets harder to stop the further along the chain one goes. In short, "break the chain early!" The early steps become the warning signs to stop.

STEP THREE: Provide cues or environments that encourage "good" behavior.

The simplest rule is to "put yourself in the right place at the right time." A procrastinating student is much more likely to do homework in a library rather than in front of the TV. And an alcoholic is much more likely to avoid alcohol in an AA meeting rather than in a bar.

Reminders can help enforce our desired behavior. For example, signs can remind us to exercise, give a compliment or express our affection for a loved one. Put the signs where you won't overlook them – on your lunch bag, your coffee cup, your mirror, etc.

Remember that other people make up a vital part of our environment. So, don't just think of the physical setting; think of changing other people's responses – which will, in turn, encourage ourselves. Making a public commitment, e.g. to lose weight, to contribute more to meetings, or to start telling more jokes, provides considerable motivation.

STEP FOUR: Practice responding faithfully to your adjusted environment and to the situations implementing your intentions.

You must heed your plans, warning signs and the situations you have designated to encourage your desired behavior. Faithfully avoiding situations that lead to unwanted outcomes is also important. Keeping records and rewarding your successes will also help.

Nearly everyone will agree that humans are creatures of habit. And those habits – once ingrained in our personalities – can be difficult to break. Thankfully, we are each given not only the will to overcome our weaknesses, but we also have the ability to stack the cards in our favor…such as changing our environment. These principles are universal, whether your behavior needs minor modification or a complete overhaul. Either way, your success is just a commitment away.