The Company We Keep

At 8 a.m. the phone rings, right on schedule. The call is not an appointment I’ve made, but I’m expecting it all the same.

Owing to being known as the Millionaire Mentor, I receive calls daily from people around the world, all with the same question: “What is the one thing I could do right now, at this very moment, to dramatically improve my current situation?”

“The answer,” I say, “is simple—change the five people you associate with most.”

I can imagine your reaction now. You’re thinking, “I’m not going to write off my lifelong friends!”

Don’t worry, I wouldn’t ask that of you. You don’t have to cut your ties to the family and friends that you spend time with now; however, I am suggesting that if you truly wish to change your life, this single step could be the first on a path toward success!

Let me explain how this works. Think back to when you were in school—it probably doesn’t seem like that long ago, right? Now, in school, if you hung out with the kids who smoked, more than likely, who would you be? A smoker. If you hung out with the jocks on campus, you probably played sports, and if you wanted to get straight A’s, would it have made sense to surround yourself with the D students? Of course not! You would only find yourself attracting other people with a negative attitude and poor grades.

The same principle that applied back in high school still applies to the grown-up you today. If you want to become a powerful and top-producing salesperson, hang out with the top five salespeople. If you want to write a book, seek out best-selling authors, and you will learn how to duplicate the steps that led them to success. If your desire is to become a gourmet chef, learn everything you can from those who are already excelling in this field.

I told you it was simple.

You can still play poker, golf, and spend social time with your old friends, yet if you really want to make dramatic progress in moving forward, you need to stop asking for uninformed advice and approval and start hanging out with those who are already succeeding in the direction you wish to venture.

The truth is that we are a direct reflection of the five people we hang around the most, and our income is the average of those five people.

Not convinced? Look around. If everyone at the backyard barbecue this weekend is in law enforcement, more than likely, you are too. Now insert electrician, teacher, or whatever your current profession is in the place of law enforcement, and see how this rule applies to you.

Imagine how your life could improve and be positively impacted by associating with five other like-minded people—friends who think just like you, read the same books, share the same attitude, and act as a support group to assist you along your journey. How would your chances of success change? They would skyrocket!

When you hang out with five other positive role models and work together toward making your lives better and more productive, it’s called a Mastermind group. On the flip side, when five other non-like-minded people get together and hold each other back for fear of stretching their own comfort zones, it’s called a Land Mine group. This group explodes your dreams and desires, telling you all the reasons why you’ll fail and never make it out of their own ignorance and self-imposed limitations.

So what do we do? Where do we start? Where do we find these other five like-minded people? Here’s a suggestion: start your own Mastermind group! Yes, you can do it! Take out an ad in the local paper or on the Internet announcing that you are seeking five other commonly focused individuals who have the desire to grow personally and professionally. Be clear when discussing what your expectations are and any requirements that you have set forth when you meet potential members.

Once your group is formed, meet once a month. At each meeting, share your goals from the previous session, what you did to achieve them, and any obstacles you encountered. Ask the other members for their input, suggestions, and for any assistance you need from them. Lastly, set your new goal to be achieved by the next meeting. Continue on with the next person in the group until all members have shared and set new goals.

By sharing your goals you will become accountable for them. Group members also serve as a sounding board for new ideas and will help each other progress at lightning speeds.

There is one catch! If someone does not follow through, they have to leave the group. The purpose of the organization is for winners to win; this is not the place for negativity, excuses, or complaints. Meetings are not a time for members to dump on the others about how they cannot catch a break. A member who does this will only weaken the integrity of the group and slow down your progress. In other words, practice “tough love.” By doing so you will be helping those who fail see what they are doing to themselves by sabotaging their own success as well as letting the others in the group know that what they are working toward is important and that you are working together as a supportive team.

My favorite quote of all time is, “Many receive great advice, yet few actually profit from it.” Now that you know the answer to the one thing we can do right now, at this moment, to make a positive change in our lives, please allow me to ask a question of my own: what are you going to do with it?

** This article is one of 101 great articles that were published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. To get complete details on “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life”, visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/greatways.html