I’m constantly reading books, listening to audiotapes, and always on a search for more knowledge. I never truly understood what Jim Rohn meant when he said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” until today. Now whether you are incredibly successful in your business reaching for the next level or you are just starting out in any business endeavor; this is absolutely true & will help you reach new heights.
Of course anyone can grow up with nothing with absolutely zero connections and make a name for themselves just as well as someone born with a “privileged” lifestyle with all of the connections can make a name for themselves.
So if anyone can be successful, no matter what their peer group is, then what’s the point of this article? Why do most of the bigger motivational speakers and coaches continue to regurgitate this quote?
It comes down to one simple principle: to believe in your own power & abilities to be successful. You are unique. Every single one of you have something unique to offer the world that no one else can.
This was one of the biggest things that I had to figure out because let’s be honest, you can surround yourself around wealthy & successful people all you want but that’s not going to make you successful. You can go to all of the parties, attend all of the same seminars, and listen to the same speakers – but that’s not going to make you go anywhere.
The people that you surround yourself around should inspire you but they can’t motivate you to follow in their footsteps. The difference between motivation and inspiration is that anyone can become inspired from what someone says or does but no one can motivate you to pick up the phone to make that sales call except you. You are the only person that can motivate yourself.
The question then lies, why should we surround ourselves around better people? Here are 6 reasons why surrounding yourself around better people will increase your success rate in business.
Support
I’m not talking about support in your business where you can pick up the phone and ask any question you want to; that would be what a business coach is for. I’m talking about being able to be open and honest through a human connection. I can’t tell you how many people said “I wish there was something that I could say” when I was building my business.
Most people would say “I wish I understood what you were going through but I never even see you anymore because you are so wrapped up in your business…” and that wouldn’t help in the slightest. Not only was I confused about how to handle a situation emotionally but I couldn’t find someone that wouldn’t guilt trip me the whole time.
Other business owners that are bringing in 6 or 7-figures would understand the strain it takes on relationships, especially when starting out. The other thing they understand is the thought process of what’s going on. You can’t expect someone to understand why you’re spending $5,000 on a self-development or business course except people that have already been in your shoes. They see it as an investment where as others will see it as an expense.
This support system will get you through the toughest times you’ll go through because they’ve been there before and they’ll also celebrate with you when you achieve all that you set out to achieve – then they’ll ask you what you’ll be doing next.
Growth Potential
This was one of the biggest transitions that I had to go through. The reason why you aren’t a millionaire or a billionaire at this very minute is because you have to transform into the kind of person that becomes a millionaire or billionaire. You don’t get that way by gossiping about something one of your friends did at a party. You get that way by continuous growth through the information that is presented to you and what you do with that information.
I can’t tell you how many times I have attended a BBQ at one of my friend’s houses and they are excited to see me because they just read a book that I could benefit from. They run and grab the book just so they don’t forget.
Let’s stop right there for a minute. How many times have you told a friend that you have something you want them to read but then forgot to give it to them? This is one of the biggest things that I learned is that successful people have a laser focus. My friend couldn’t move forward until that task was complete.
Other than just books, just listening to the stories that they tell about how they overcame different situations are worth its weight in gold alone.
If you listen close enough, what may be a story about their life could end up being the nugget of gold that you needed to make 10 extra business deals the next week.
Feedback
Friends are there to tell you when you have done or are about to do something that you’ll regret. Feedback goes hand in hand with support but they are different in their own sense. I have found that entrepreneurs that I look up to are always telling their friends what their next idea is. They want to get feedback whether they think it’s okay and they truly want to hear their feedback.
The reason they are asking is because they are just collecting data about their next adventure. If people always listen to everyone around them, most of the things they have in their life wouldn’t have been created. If everyone thought they were crazy to do something, they might do it simply to prove them wrong.
You can’t ask for the opinions of others that haven’t been where you are because they can’t form an educated opinion but someone that has already been there can provide insights that you haven’t even thought about yet.
Networking Possibilities
I’m not talking about the people that invite you to parties that you are supposed to just show up to so they can present to you a multi-level marketing opportunity. I’m talking about the business people that know where you are in your business & your life and can be the bridge to connect you to the people you want to meet.
This isn’t always guaranteed but your friends have other friends, correct? I have gained more leads through mutual friends and word of mouth through attending a pool party than I have through cold calling different businesses. Why is that? Because friends will trust their friends before they trust a stranger – this will automatically get you to become that trusted figure.
Inspiration
I know you have woken up one morning and you just didn’t want to get out of bed. Most people don’t want to go to work but they are obligated to go because they want their paycheck to have the full 40+ hours. As entrepreneurs, we don’t have anyone to answer to except ourselves. If you have employees, then they may hold you accountable to reach higher because they want to continue to get paid.
Surrounding yourself around better people will inspire you to want to do more, to wake up early & stay up late to change the world, or to simply cause you to make a difference in the lives of others. If you don’t change the world through your business, who is going to?
Lasting Relationships
The last reason why you should surround yourself around better people is because you can’t do this alone. Life is an interesting journey that is filled with triumphs & despair. One of the biggest lessons I had to learn as an entrepreneur is that I couldn’t build my business alone and this holds true for everything in life. You want people that will celebrate with you and you also want people that have seen failure because they’ll be able to tell you that there’s a lesson to learn in every failure. Trust me, the last thing you need while you’re wallowing over a failure is someone telling you that you should just give up.
“If it was really meant to be, it wouldn’t be this hard.”
The truth is achieving success & keeping it is going to be work. Don’t make it worse by surrounding yourself around people that will try to belittle your ambitions. There’s nothing worse than dealing with people that are always knocking you down & eventually, you’d end up giving up always listening to why you won’t achieve your goals.
Surround yourself around those that will lift you up, inspire you to become more, and understand what you’re going through. Those will be the people that will change your life and will continue to strive to be better than they were today along side with you.
My challenge for you is to find those people that you’ve always looked up to or that are already successful in your industry. By surrounding yourself with them, notice how they influence your life & business. I bet you’ll be surprised!
Andrew Carlson is a public speaker & an executive coach to restauranteurs and small business owners in LA. He provides clarity, direction, and results by helping them implement the systems necessary to succeed.
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