Embed from Getty Images
—
Growing up, my mother used to tell me this all the time. Of course, with her it was in Spanish “Dime con quien andas y te diré quién eres.” It used to drive me crazy. Like many American teens I was hell-bent on being an individual. No one made me do anything! I thought…
Over the years I have learned how much wisdom there is in this saying. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. This one I learned from master marketer and coach, Eben Pagan. I have also seen it impact my life and the lives of my clients when it is put into action. The people we spend our time with largely determine our success. Here are three types of people you need around you that will drastically increase your chances for success in life:
The Visionary –
We all need people around us that can see the big picture. Those that will help us step back and see the 50,000 foot view of what is going on in our lives and in the businesses we develop. The Visionary is that person. She is the one that can tell you how your short-term plans will affect your life and the lives of others in the long-term. She will help you step back and assess a situation to see who the best collaborators are, what level of investment you should have, and how to develop a roadmap to get from where you are to where you want to be.
The Strategist –
This is that friend that loves developing and executing plans to get from Point A to Point B. The Strategist will help you break down the big picture into the tangible, day-to-day steps that you can act on consistently to get the long-term results that lead to massive success. These are people that are interested in developing systems that function smoothly and efficiently. Like computer software designers, they understand that a well-thought, strategically developed system will make sure your operations run smoothly and effectively in the long-term. They help you develop small actions that add up to big results.
The Mentor –
Mentors are worth their weight in gold. Mentors are those that have done the things that you are setting out to do and been successful at it. They have ten, twenty, thirty, or more years of experience beyond you so they know the types of obstacles and challenges you will face on the path to success. A good mentor can condense 10 years of experience into a few months for you by teaching you the skills he learned over the course of his career. A Mentor will have the foresight to guide you through potential problems and pitfalls that you won’t even see coming.
In order to succeed in life, you need to consciously create your social circles. You need to surround yourself with people that inspire you and can support your vision for the future. While there are others that you can bring into your circle, these three types of people are a phenomenal start on your way to success.
—
Photo: Getty Images
If you’re not mixing with anybody who even vaguely falls into these categories, where do you find these paragons among men?
There are a lot of options for where to find these men. You have to actively seek them out. Depending on your field/interests, you can find them through doing a Google search of your local area for interest groups/meetups. You can start following blogs for people that fit these categories, then start a dialogue with them about their work (there are a few specifics about how to do this, you can’t just show up and say “hey! I’m cool, teach me”), you can also hire a coach to help you with these things. Developing a strong and supportive social network… Read more »