Who we surround ourselves with matters.
What I mean by this is that we’re influenced – for better or worse! – by the relationships we keep in both business and life. You’ve probably heard of the quote from Jim Rohn that says we’re the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. With this, he’s really just saying that we start to think and act like the people around us are thinking and acting.
This can be incredibly detrimental OR incredibly helpful.
Here’s what I mean!
MINDSET
If you want to make more money, but all of your friends are “starving artists” who live and breathe this generalized identity, then you’re probably not going to feel very excited about actually making more money. Why? Because you risk isolation from your community and separation from your loved ones.
On the other hand, let’s say you want to make more money and you surround yourself with empowered women making six figures in business. Women who work a healthy amount, love what they do, and feel great about bringing in the dough each month. Over time, their beliefs about money are going to rub off on your beliefs about money. Their actions are going to rub off on your actions. Pretty soon, you’re going to be an empowered women making six figures in business, because it will be OKAY for you to be an empowered woman making six figures in business – you won’t be risking isolation from your community.
What’s great about this concept is that we can change our SURROUNDINGS and ultimately can change our REALITIES. All we have to do is ask the question…Who am I surrounded by? Who am I listening to and learning from? Who am I watching or mimicking or modeling?
The people, places, and information we’re surrounded by will directly influence what we think, what we believe, and how we move about the world. As another example…
If we spend our lunch break with healthy eaters, we might soon find ourselves making a few tweaks to our diets. If we’re constantly hearing loved ones complain, we’re going to have a hard time staying positive. If we’re surrounded by others who have a scarcity mindset, we’re going to struggle when it comes to abundance.
Since who and what we surround ourselves with becomes one of the most important influences and determinations in our success or our failure, we need people – mentors, coaches, family, friends, and even clients – who will inspire us, support us, lift us up, challenge us, and ultimately push us (lovingly) towards where we want to be!
STRATEGY
Since we can change our reality by changing our surroundings, we’ve got to start with an inventory of the people, things, and information we’re taking in.
Who do we listen to?
Who are we learning from?
Who do we spend time with?
Then, as we take an inventory of the people around us, we also want to ask what it is that we want to be experiencing more of in life.
Do you want to make more money?
Do you want to take more time off – and keep your business going strong at the same time?
Do you want to eat healthier, move more, or take better care of yourself?
Do you want to host more sales calls with potential clients?
Do you want to incorporate more travel and virtual work into your business?
Once you’ve figured out what you want more of in your life – and subsequently what you want less of – then it’s time to strategize how to make that happen.
If you want to make more money, how can you surround yourself with empowered women making the amount of money you want to make? If you want to take more time off, how can you surround yourself with people, podcasts, books, quotes, etc. that support the belief that you CAN take time off and keep your business going strong at the same time?
Now, the easier part of this strategy is figuring out what you want and what to ADD to your life to make that happen. The more difficult part of this strategy can often be figuring out “HOW” to do that. But the truth is, once you’re committed and the intentions is there… the strategies tend to reveal themselves with lighting speed.
EXECUTION
Now that you know your intention and WHO or WHAT you want to surround yourself with more, it’s time to execute on the how. How will you change your environment to change your reality?
If you want to make more money, you might hire a new coach AND reach out to connect with a friend who makes the money want to make. If you want to learn how to dance, you might join a dance class. If you want to stop dieting, you might filter your Instagram so that it includes more body positive role models of all shapes and sizes. If you want to challenge a limiting belief, you might join a mastermind with others doing the same.
Now, I’d love to hear from you! What does this look like for you? Who or what do you want to surround yourself with MORE? How will you change your environment to change your reality? Share with me below!