Choose Environments That Let You Grow

Environment is Everything

I’m British. I love being British. I love the history, the identity, the ancestry, and the depth that come with it. That part of me isn’t negotiable.

But loving where you’re from doesn’t mean pretending every environment helps you grow.

Over time, I realized something uncomfortable but important:progress isn’t just about effort or discipline, it’s about context.

Crab buckets exist everywhere.

This behaviour isn’t unique to the UK. Psychologists describe it as crab-bucket behaviour or tall poppy syndrome, when someone tries to climb, the group pulls them back down to restore balance.

You’ll see it in friendship groups all over the world:

• Effort gets mocked

• Achievements get minimized

• Change is treated like arrogance

So no, this isn’t “just British.”

The difference is in scale.

What is different is how widespread it feels.

In the UK, pulling people back down often feels like the default setting. Don’t get too big for your boots. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t stand out too far.

Heavy drinking culture amplifies this. If you train hard, drink less, or aim higher, you’re not just changing habits, you’re disrupting the group’s routine. That disruption is often corrected with mockery or pressure, not with support.

In Canada, I’ve still seen crab-bucket behaviour, but it’s contained. Certain friendship groups, certain subcultures. It isn’t the baseline. The default response is more often simple respect:

• “That’s cool.”

• “Fair play.”

• “How’s it going?”

Same effort. Same person. Very different outcome.

The military is a perfect example

The military should be the clearest case of a shared mission. One giant team working toward the same goal.

Yet it’s one of the worst environments for internal crab-bucketing.

• Army vs Marines.

• Unit vs unit.

• Role vs role.

I’ve served. I’ve represented all of them at an international tri-service level. And still, the reflex response is often mockery before respect, “you did this,” “you weren’t that,” “that doesn’t count.”

It’s levelling behaviour. Not humility status protection.

Contrast that with the US. Nobody cares what unit you were in or exactly what you did. The baseline response is simply: “Thank you for your service.”

Sure, some roles earn additional respect. That’s normal everywhere, but the baseline respect is given to everyone who served.

In the UK, especially within infantry culture, that baseline often isn’t there. Instead of curiosity, “How was that?” it’s a dismissal.

Instead of mutual respect, it’s one-upmanship disguised as banter.

Why does this matter for coaching and fitness?

Fitness exposes environments quickly.

Training is visible. Discipline shows. Progress creates contrast. And when people feel that contrast as a threat, they try to reduce it not by improving themselves, but by pulling you back.

That’s why people hear:

• “You’re obsessed.”

• “You don’t need to train that hard.”

• “Have a drink, relax.”

That isn’t concern. It’s comfort defending itself.

This isn’t about cutting people off.

This is the part I care about most as a coach.

Choosing better environments doesn’t mean abandoning your culture, your friends, or your past. It doesn’t mean burning bridges or acting superior.

It means asking one honest question. Is this environment helping me become who I’m trying to be or keeping me where I am?

You don’t need everyone to come with you.

You don’t need everyone’s approval.

You just need fewer people quietly dragging you back toward comfort.

My philosophy is simple:

Train in environments where effort isn’t ridiculed and spend time with people who aren’t threatened by growth.

Reduce exposure to groups that punish improvement, even subtly.

Not everyone is against you, but not every environment deserves equal access to your energy.

Sometimes the most effective coaching decision isn’t a new program. It’s standing somewhere socially and physically where improvement isn’t treated as betrayal.

Nat Galloway

Coach, Master Athletic Performance