They say that you are the accumulation of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Knowing that, I’d say it’s rather essential to carefully select the people you spend time with. Most of us have a vision of who we want to be, what type of life we want to live, how we want to treat others, and goals we have in mind for our careers, family, and lives. Surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals to you is the best thing you can do to get closer to your dreams.
You’re probably wondering how people around you affect who you are. On a super scientific level, facial mimicry is an unconscious mirroring of others’ facial expressions, which over time can lead to a permanent or semi-permanent change in your own facial expressions. On another level, there’s social influence. When two or more people get together, they’re more powerful, even if that power is wasted. When we spend enough time with someone, we begin to share language, including slang, and that is the same for when it comes to values, beliefs, and goals.
So, how do you spend time with people who will help you build the future you truly want?
Figure Out Who You Want to Be
Who is your ideal self? What qualities do they have? What kind of life do they want? What are their goals, dreams, values, and beliefs? Understanding these answers will help you figure out where you want to end up.
Who Are The 5 People You Currently Spend the Most Time With?
What qualities do the five people you spend the most time with have? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their goals and ambitions? What are they currently doing with their lives, and do they have plans for how they are going to improve? Do they have qualities you want to possess? Are they who you want to be in the future? This is information you need to evaluate to understand if these are the right people to spend most of your time with.
Name 5 People Who Embody the Qualities You Desire
Write a list of five people you admire and list the qualities you love about them. If you want to be an activist, write down an activist you admire. If you want to be a chef, write down a chef.
Increase Contact With Those People
There are several ways to increase contact with people, from direct to indirect methods. The first is direct contact, an email or a phone call, or an actual hang out. Maybe they’re a public speaker, and you can attend a conference they are speaking at. If they’re a consultant, perhaps you could book an appointment with them. If they’re more reachable, maybe you could attend an event they’ll be at and chat them up. If direct contact doesn’t work, they might have a product you could interact with, such as a podcast or book. Many successful entrepreneurs have noted that some of their role models were people they never met in person. Their role models came in the form of books.
