Here’s a popular saying you may have heard: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Consider the people you’re spending the most time with. Are they the kinds of people you want to become?
Obviously, no one’s advocating that you go through your list of contacts and cut all ties with anyone who has a different lifestyle from you. But it’s worth at least considering who you spend the most time with, and whether you’d benefit from other company.
After all, if great minds think alike, the key to improving is associating with more great minds.
Keep Away From the Dream-Killers
As a business owner, you’re constantly envisioning where you want to be a year or five years from now. Your faith in that dream is what keeps you moving forward, and what keeps you on your feet.
Unfortunately, not everyone cultivates this mindset. The naysayers can be very real, and they may have embedded themselves into your personal or professional life. It’s possible they are afraid of reaching for success themselves, they think they’re offering “realistic” advice, or they’re jealous of seeing you succeed. Whatever the case, you need to stop surrounding yourself with people who make you feel discouraged and insecure. If you’re going to reach your dreams, you need to find like-minded people who are also reaching for theirs.
Seek Out Growth-Oriented Individuals
If you want to create a personal growth mindset, you’ll want to seek people who have done or are currently doing the same. If you want to start a company, networking with established business owners can help you get there. If you want to grow your organization’s wealth, surround yourself with people who have expanded their business.
No matter what your current goals are, it pays to interact with like-minded individuals who share your vision for growth and success. This is particularly true when you’ve surrounded yourself with people who are a step (or several steps) ahead of you, with knowledge and experience you haven’t yet obtained. If you’re looking for ways to grow your career, it’s best not to be the smartest one in the room.
At the end of the day, spending time with growth-oriented people is a practical (and often fulfilling) path to success. Seek out the dreamers, the thinkers, and the innovators who share your goals, and it becomes that much easier to get where you’re going.
If you’re currently having difficulty finding a group of like-minded peers to share your growth with, don’t forget that mastermind groups are always an option. These groups give you the opportunity to surround yourself with growth-oriented individuals without the time and effort of networking—and if you listen to their stories, you’ll probably learn a few things.