Take a moment and write down the top 5 people in your sphere of influence. These are the top 5 people with whom you spend your time. They could be acquaintances, family, friends, or business colleagues.
Now take a look at the list and tell me: Are these people living a life that you would want to emulate? Do they have the life you want?
- Do they spend as much time with their family as you would like to spend with yours?
- Do they make as much as you’d like to make?
- Do they have personal growth goals?
- Do they have the same spiritual walk that you do?
I’m willing to bet that your top 5 people live a life very similar to what you live right now. They probably make about the same amount that you do, they have similar work habits, similar hobbies, and similar lifestyles. And there’s nothing wrong with that!
Because you see, whether you realize it or not, you are already being affected by the Law of Association. The Law of Association simply suggests that you become most like those that you associate with. That doesn’t make us weak minded or inferior – it is simply an instinct of humanity.
Now, consider this. Have you ever stopped to think about whether or not the people that you spend most of your time with may be affecting your ability to move forward? Or, look at it this way. How can you learn to live, behave, and think differently than you are now unless you learn it from someone?
In most of the people that I work with, I find that they are looking to associate with people who will elevate them – people who will encourage them to do better, be better, and succeed! Furthermore, they want people in their life who can teach them these things!
So how do you go about doing that? You choose your primary associations with intention.
Most people end up with the sphere of influence they do merely by happenstance. Their top 5 people in their lives end up being their co-workers, acquaintances that happen to run in the same circles they do, or their family members. Rarely do we choose our sphere of influence. It happens to us as we go about our business.
Now, please understand before I continue that I’m NOT suggesting that you ditch your friends! However, if you want to expand in your life, a good first step is to start associating with people who are already where you want to be in life. In other words, they are successful in the areas that you wish to be successful.
Why? Because you learn to think like they think when you associate with them. And when you think like they do, you’ll have the results that they do. It is really that simple!
In April of 2001, a book was released called Rich Dad Poor Dad. In it, Robert Kiyosaki shared the observations that he had growing up being exposed to two different levels of success. He shared something profound when he said, “If you want to be rich, choose your friends carefully.”
His advice? Choose your friends with intention– and choose them based on what you can learn.
He said that he has never had someone that he considered “poor” reach out to ask him how to be successful, even though he would have gladly shared that information with anyone! Instead, they usually ask for a loan or a job.
Now, consider: Do you associate with the people that would dare to ask how to be successful? Or do you associate with those who would prefer to simply request the loan or job?
So… how do you intentionally find people who can help you grow?
A good place to start is in professional associations. Who are the people that are a few steps ahead of you in your industry? Find them. Seek them out, and befriend them.
It’s also not out of the realm of possibility to simply ask them to counsel you! Learn from them. Ask them how they think about success. What do they do when problems arise in their business? How do they handle their finances and how do they view money? How to they handle interpersonal conflicts?
Finally, when you spend time with people who are more successful than you, you’ll “catch” their attitude and mannerisms that contribute to their success. You’ll begin to see things the way that they do. And as a result, YOUR business and sales will change.
Ultimately, it should be a prioritized goal to associate on a regular basis with successful people if you want to be successful.
So what is your next step to success? Who do you need to be seeking out intentionally? Do it NOW – you won’t regret it!
