Staying around the wrong people is a risk that people often accept without recognising its effect.
They wake up frustrated, go to work feeling unseen and spend time with people who do not support them. Over time, something changes. They become quieter, less confident and more doubtful.
This may not happen because they lack capability. It may happen because of what they are constantly exposed to.
An Unsupportive Environment Is Not Neutral
The environment a person remains in shapes how that person thinks.
Trying something new—a skill, path or decision—is already difficult. Attempting it while surrounded by doubt adds another layer of resistance.
People may question the decision, dismiss the effort or repeatedly pull the person back towards what feels comfortable. That influence is not neutral. It creates resistance to the growth already being attempted.
If someone remains in that environment long enough, the external doubt can gradually become an internal belief.
Some people may be able to block it out. Most people will be influenced by what they repeatedly experience.
Change the Question About Confidence
When confidence begins to fall, the common question is:
“Why am I losing confidence?”
A more useful question may be:
“Where am I placing myself every day?”
This does not mean that every difficult environment should be abandoned immediately, or that growth requires being surrounded only by agreement. Constructive challenge can strengthen thinking and performance.
The distinction is whether the environment challenges someone to become better or repeatedly teaches them to become smaller.
Place Yourself in a Better Environment
Over time, people do not simply adapt to their environments. They begin to reflect them.
That is why choosing where to spend time—and whose beliefs receive influence—is a meaningful growth decision.
Sometimes the most useful step is to place yourself in a better environment: one that allows honest challenge, recognises effort and creates room for a new capability, path or decision to develop.
At PLUS Mindset Academy, individual coaching helps professionals recognise the environments influencing their confidence and make more intentional growth decisions.
This article expands on an original insight shared by Sharon Tan. Read the original LinkedIn discussion.
