The Right Kind…
Mark your calendar - and mark my words - 12 months from now your personal world will depend on your professional network.
Years ago, I studied “The Pareto Principle.” The idea that 80% of our results can come from just 20% of our resources or our efforts (or, some combination thereof). I decided to see what would happen if I applied this concept to my social network.
Before Facebook Existed
If you’ve read the book, Your Best Just Got Better, you saw that chapter 5 is titled, “Improvement and Your Social Network.” But, the network I’m talking about existed long before LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (or…whatever social sharing site is coming up next!). The network you are a part of includes your family, your teachers, your co-workers and your neighbors.
Now, much like the “social network and sharing sites” today, the people you spend time with can influence what you do, what you believe is possible, and what you achieve. It’s not for you to just believe that; spend a few minutes putting this theory to the test. Test it, before you buy it.
The 5 People…
This was a wild experiment I ran in 1998; I remember it like it was yesterday. On the white board in my office I wrote the names of the 5 people I was spending the most time with. The list included my then-girlfriend, a work colleague, and a mentor I met with about once month. Next to each of their names, I wrote things that I could imagine such as:
1. About how much money they earned.
2. About how many vacations they took last year.
3. About how many movies we talked about seeing.
4. About how many books we discussed.
5. The “most common” topics we talked about, when we had time.
Then Came the Shock
I realized that these 5 people had actually created a limitation; I was only able to see, think, and be about the average of those around me. Sure, I wanted to believe that I could be the “tall poppy,” but when it came down to it, I was living about the average of those 5 people. I was making about the average in salary, taking about the average in vacations, going to about the average in seminars and conferences.
But, in my heart and mind…I’m not average!
Who Are You Meeting Along The Way?
Look, over the next 30 days, I challenge you to end the day with a simple process. Write down the names of people you meet each day. One person, 10 people, people you may meet with again, and people you’re likely never going to see again. Be aware of people’s names as they introduce themselves to you, and watch what happens over the next 30 days.
Really, watch what happens over the next 365 days.
Your peer group (peer: a person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person) may be the most significant limitation you experience, personally AND professionally.
You need to find people who will push on you, and you need to push on them. Raise the bar, hear the truth, and make a different.
What is the next thing for you to do to find your next group of “personal change makers”?
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